I'm Already Gone
by redfox13
Summary: Harry is the little brother of James Potter, a Gryffindor through and through. Things start to go wrong when he’s sorted into Slytherin. To make matters worse, he’s starting to fall for Snape... Challenge by Reddwarfer, AU.
1. Little Brother

Disclaimer: Nothing es mine. O.o It's JK's I tell u!

I'd like to thank my vondaba beta Zoomi, without her, I would be in world of mistakes. . Hehe, sank u!

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"_Good_ Morning!" A cheery voice broke through the silence of the sleeping dorm.

The small figure pushed the door open wider and slipped into the room, grinning brightly as the oblivious bodies continued to slumber.

_Hm, not awake eh? This'll teach them to not leave me out of another prank._ He smirked.

A wand was waved. "_Rictusempra_."

Immediately shrieks of laughter erupted from four of the five beds. The young boy giggled to himself as the older wizards struggled out of their sheets, twitching and moving about in futile attempts to stop the tickling.

"_Harry!_" James cried angrily around his grunts of laughter.

Sirius wheezed, tears streaming down his cheeks as he clutched his sides. "I'm g-gonna k-k-kill – _haha_ – your brother, Potter." He fell out of bed with a thump.

Remus chortled as he rolled onto his side, grinning up at Harry through teary eyes. "We're s-sorry Harry!" He pleaded.

Only Peter continued laughing, not even bothering to plead with Harry to be released from the spell. He had suffered far too many times and had learned to let things take their course.

Harry idly twirled his wand. "Why should I?" He asked casually, grinning from ear to ear at their helplessness.

"I'll t-tell – _hehe, dammit Harry_ – Mum if you d-do-don't." James choked.

There was an irritated sigh before Harry waved his wand again. "_Ennervate_. You're no fun James." He pouted.

Hazel eyes glared at the shorter wizard. "I don't appreciate being woken up by a tickling charm." He retorted.

"Who let you in anyway Brat?" Sirius grumbled as he hefted himself to his feet.

Harry sniffed and turned up his nose at the older boy. "Lily let me in, she _likes_ me." He replied haughtily.

"Oi!" James pointed a finger at the younger Potter. "I told you to keep your paws off of Evans, she's _mine_."

"It's not _my_ fault she likes me more then _you_." Harry smirked annoyingly. "Better luck next time Jamie boy."

He laughed and dodged out of the room and downstairs before any hexes could be sent his way. The four Marauders remained in silence for a moment longer before Remus sighed.

"Well I suppose we should get ready then." He shook off his sheets and rose out of bed.

The other three grumbled under their breath about lack of sleep while the tawny haired boy smiled happily and readied for the day.

A few restless minutes later the boys made their way to the common room, immediately spying Harry and Lily on the couch. James growled under his breath about little brothers while Sirius held him back discretely. Harry spied their entrance and sent a leering smile at his brother.

"Morning James." He greeted sweetly.

"Morning." James muttered grumpily in return.

Lily smiled also. "You four are up early." She commented, raising a questioning brow. "Planning on torturing more Slytherins today Potter?" She asked coolly.

"Actually we – oomph!" He cut off as Remus jabbed him in the side with his elbow.

"Were just woken up by Harry here." Remus continued for him, smiling charmingly. "He's such an early riser." He said in a falsely sweet tone.

Lily actually smiled. "He is." She turned back toward the boy in question and ruffled his hair. "And he's so _cute_."

James growled softly, glaring down at Harry, unnoticed.

Harry laughed. "Aw, thanks Lil." He swatted her hand away playfully. "But you're so much more beautiful then me." He replied politely.

She laughed lightly. "Oh Harry, how on _earth_ did you end up in Slytherin? You would make such a better Gryffindor."

"I ask myself that everyday." James muttered.

He was ignored and Harry shrugged with a silly grin. "Good genes I guess. Personally I think James got the short end of the stick, Slytherin isn't that bad."

"Short end of the stick?" James yelped. "You little bugger!" He growled.

"Language, Potter!" Lily cried. "I don't want Harry learning your bad habits, hopefully he'll grow into a _decent_ wizard, unlike you."

"_What_?" James spluttered. "I'll have you know that every Potter to set foot in Hogwarts has been in Gryffindor." He glared at Harry. "Except _this_ one."

"Oh leave him alone Potter, Harry's just different from you blundering fools." The witch tossed her fiery hair over a shoulder.

"Lily!" Remus protested.

Emerald eyes were rolled. "Except you Remus, you're the only one with a bit of hope."

"Thank you." He adjusted his robes, lifting his head proudly.

Sirius and James glared at him pointedly. "Thanks a lot for the help Moony." Sirius grumbled.

A soft rumbling interrupted whatever moment they were having and all heads turned toward Harry who smiled despite himself.

"Er…I'm hungry." He chuckled sheepishly.

"Come on then Harry, I'll walk with you to the Great Hall, I think it's time for breakfast anyway." Lily rose from the couch and held out her hand.

Harry took it greedily, smiling in triumph over the girl's shoulder as she helped him stand. 'Better luck next time James.' He mouthed maliciously.

"You _little_ – !" James cried, Sirius holding him steady once more.

"Grow up Potter." Lily huffed as she led the Slytherin out of the portrait hole, the latter waving over his shoulder.

The Marauders watched as the two left, a mixture of shock and irritation amongst their midst.

"Your brother is a right prat." Sirius commented as he released his friend.

James sighed and ruffled his messy hair. "Tell me about it." He sighed.

There was a moment of thoughtful silence only broken when Peter sniffed loudly, effectively killing the quiet of the room.

"Is it breakfast yet?"

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Review and I shall update faster!  
-Red 


	2. Breakfast, I Luv It

Zoomi, once again, is the best beta ever!

* * *

"Look at him, he thinks he's so much better then us." James growled into his porridge as he sat within the Great Hall, _attempting_ to eat breakfast.

His gaze was locked on a mused head of dark hair; the boy continued talking adamantly with the students sitting around him – obviously about Quidditch – unaware that he was being watched.

A heavy sigh at James' right had him turning toward Remus. "Really James, your little brother isn't secretly taunting you." He nodded. "_True_, he is the spawn of Salazar, but most of the time he's acting up just to get your attention."

There was an incredulous snort. "Attention my arse." Sirius waved a piece of toast at the amber eyed boy. "He's one you have to watch out for; we wouldn't want Potter Jr. over there to turn dark on us."

"Dark?" Peter mumbled through a mouthful of cereal, bits of milk dribbling down his chin.

James gave a disgusted look. "As in future Death Eater." He replied, glancing away.

The chubby boy started choking at those words, eyes comically wide in fear. Laughter erupted from the Slytherins at his misfortune and Remus tried to pat him on the back soothingly; Sirius gave them the finger with a scowl.

"Bloody Slytherins." He shook his head. "And Evans wonders why we hate 'em."

Across the hall a similar conversation was taking place.

"Bloody _Gryffindors_." Lucius spat. "They're nothing but a waste of perfectly good space."

Dark laughter erupted around him in agreement, but of course everyone would agree with the smooth talking Seventh Year, they didn't want to be on the wrong end of the blonde's wand.

"You're _so_ right Lucius darling." Narcissa cooed, her heavily made up face scrunched into a pout. "They're nothing but dirty little half-bloods."

There was a snort a little ways down the table and the group of Purebloods turned in the direction of their interruption.

"Have something to say _Potter_?" Lucius sneered. "I'm surprised you aren't defending them."

Harry smiled coolly. "And why would I do something like that Lucius, when I am _clearly_ a Slytherin?" He drawled, shifting his robes so the Slytherin crest was visible to further his point. "You could ask Regulus the same question and I am sure he would give you the same reply."

The younger Black scowled from his own breakfast. "Of course I would. Gryffindors are a _disgusting_ bunch of do-gooders."

Many heads nodded in agreement.

Harry smirked. "I deserve the same respect Regulus receives; we _both_ have brothers in Gryffindor." He pointed out with a shrug. "It's not our fault that they turned out bad, so it shouldn't reflect on our reputation."

There was a sniff from Narcissa. "The Black family is a well-known supporter of the Dark Arts." She sneered. "The _Potters_ on the other hand, are _Gryffindors_."

Emerald eyes narrowed with a scowl. "Well not _this_ one." He growled lowly.

"Now, now children." Lucius smiled in that arrogant way of his. "Let's play nice."

"I will if _she_ does." Harry sneered.

The blonde witch turned away, nose to the air. Harry was about to open his mouth again when someone interrupted his insult.

"I highly doubt that Potter." A new voice said huffily as the boy sat beside Lucius. "Your family is known for their thickheaded sons."

"Severus." Lucius smiled in greeting. "We were just having a conversation on the finer aspects of Slytherin."

There was a rude scoff. "You were accusing me of having _Gryffindor_ ideals." Harry interrupted.

A dark brow was arched. "Well who can blame him Potter, your background speaks clearly enough."

"Sod off Snape, no one was asking you." Harry growled.

A few whistles and catcalls from the Gryffindor table broke through their spat and Harry sighed heavily, bowing his head. _Here we go again._

"Good morning Snivellus!" Sirius called from his seat. "Why so late this morning, took extra time in the shower?"

Ah, the daily ritual of insults, it seemed the Marauders couldn't truly start their day without offending Snape in some way. Harry hated the way his brother and friends behaved sometimes. Not only did it prove that the Slytherins were right in thinking the Potters were brainless twits, it also made the Gryffindor boys look very bad in the eyes of the staff.

James laughed at Sirius' words, bringing Harry back to the present taunting. "I don't think so Padfoot, his hair is a greasy as ever."

"Maybe he was wanking, we all know no one would _willing_ touch him." Sirius piped up again.

Laughter bubbled across the Hall as the other tables watched the normal routine of cruelty without saying anything to stop it.

"Perhaps he was taking time to shag." Remus commented, eyes flashing as he gazed at Snape.

"With _who_ Moony?" James gasped dramatically.

"Professor Flitwick maybe?" He grinned. "We all know how much he loves his Potions, Charms is a different matter, wouldn't want to be caught failing."

There was a soft growling at Harry's own table and he turned toward Snape who was looking livid. His face was red, lips tight as he glared at his tormentors.

_Not good._ Harry slid over discretely, not wanting to suffer Snape's wrath.

"If I was, you would be the first person I told _Potter_." He snapped. "Merlin knows you probably aren't satisfied with the sex _you're_ getting."

"What's that supposed to mean Snivelly?" James retorted.

There was a taunting sneer. "I'm sure your _brother_ isn't enough to satisfy your needs." He elaborated.

_What!_ Harry stiffened.

"What!" James hollered, eyes flaming.

He lunged from his seat, sending goblets and plates scattering across the table in his haste to reach Snape. Sirius and Remus jumped up and struggled to pull him back down though the glares they were shooting were enough to say how much they would rather let him go.

Harry was surprised the professors did nothing to stop them. He turned toward the laughing Slytherins and scowled lightly at Snape, he didn't appreciate being at the brunt of his joke.

"Isn't that going a little too far Severus?" Harry glowered at the older wizard.

"If you can't take a simple joke Potter _leave_." Snape snapped.

"Yes, why not leave?" Narcissa sneered over Lucius' shoulder, the latter remaining silent as he stared toward the Gryffindors with a smirk.

_Stupid Slytherins._ Harry finally looked away, eyes catching James' furious ones.

His brother was still being restrained by the two Marauders, eyes darkened with rage as he glared at the oily haired wizard. Peter as usual was useless, still stuffing his face as everything happened around him, why James allowed the small boy to follow him around Harry would never know.

Personally, he would have hexed the useless slob a long time ago.

But that was beside the point. Harry smiled halfheartedly at his brother as he rose from the bench; breakfast was definitely over for him.

"Look at little Potty running away." Narcissa giggled.

"Shut it Black." Harry growled, sending a deadly glare in the girl's direction before walking away. "I don't have time for fools like you."

He sighed quietly to himself as he left the Hall behind and headed toward the stairs; he could tell that this wasn't going to be the best of days.

"Hey Potter!" A voice called after his retreating form.

Harry tiredly turned and spied Sirius. He smiled immediately. "Yeah Black?" He cocked his head in question.

"You alright?" The older teen questioned, his blue eyes suddenly serious.

Harry laughed him off. "Why wouldn't I be?" He grinned cheekily.

The elder shrugged and nodded over his shoulder and back toward the Great Hall. "Well we weren't too sure how you would react to that." He replied.

Harry waved a dismissing hand. "I'm fine. It was nothing really, I mean it's not as though I was hexed or anything." He said honestly. "Snape was trying to get under James' skin; I didn't take his insults to heart."

Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "Good." He smiled down at the shorter boy.

"So is that it?" Harry asked.

His hair was ruffled affectionately and he cried out in protest as his gelled locks were disrupted.

"For now." Sirius replied laughingly.

"Dammit Padfoot! Do you know how long it takes to style it _just_ right?"

An incredulous brow was raised. "You actually try to tame that thing?" He nodded toward the dark locks.

Harry shook his head with a grin and attempted to fix his hair into some type of order. "I'm going for the 'just been shagged' look." He smirked.

"You're fighting a losing battle Potter." Padfoot teased. "You're obviously an innocent virgin."

"Shove off Pads." Harry scoffed and turned back toward the stairs where he had originally been headed before he was distracted.

"Love you too Potter." Sirius called as Harry stepped onto the revolving staircase.

Harry waved at the annoying Marauder as he was pulled away.

"And don't think I've forgotten what you did this morning!" Sirius warned. "I'll get you back for hexing me Potter!"

Harry smiled secretly as he shook his head. Maybe today wouldn't be too bad after all.

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jbcna: Glad u like it so far, I'll try updating regularly.

wwwendy::_grins_: Hehe, thanks. Here're all the details for the challenge. Harry is James' brother. He is a year or two behind James. He falls in love with Severus or Remus. James isn't too happy about it. No non-con. Harry can be in any house. Bonus if it is Slytherin. Bonus if Harry loses his virginity to Remus or Severus. It's on the silver snitch if u want to see more challenges.

twisteddagger::_laughs_: I think there's only one other person who took this challenge. Here's the site, the silver snitch, I take it you'll know how to search for it :_winks_: Good luck.


	3. Kiss Me?

_Merlin, kill me now._

Harry sighed and stared ahead towards the front as he sat through his first lesson. Transfiguration, first class of the day, _not_ the way he wanted to start off his morning.

He sighed again, sinking lower into his seat, reminiscing about earlier. Breakfast had been bad now that he had the chance to think about it.

_Stupid James.__ Stupid Marauders._ He pouted, it was all their fault, they had started the whole stupid thing after all.

It was always like that. Ever since he had come along with James on his first day of Hogwarts, bright eyed and amazed, he had seen the animosity between the two Houses. That had been two years ago as Harry was now in his third year; truthfully it had been the best day for Harry – well – until he was sorted that is.

Now _that_ had been a disaster.

Harry smiled at the thought. James had been so pissed. He had yelled in fact, after the Hat made its decision, no Potter was to be in _Slytherin_ after all, there _had_ to be a mistake.

_Stupid prat._ Harry snorted, ignoring the odd looks sent his way from his classmates.

Sirius and Remus had to drag him out of the Great Hall at Dumbledore's polite request, Peter stayed, waiting for the feast no doubt. But after the three had left all eyes had turned onto Harry, which he did _not_ like one bit. Did it really matter if he was in Slytherin?

He hadn't learned until the next morning how _much_ his brother loathed his new House. Sure, he had heard James and Sirius talking about Slytherin and how much they hated them, but Harry had just assumed they were talking about certain members of the House.

That had also proven true after Harry befriended the particular Slytherins the Marauders hated and tormented.

There had been a screaming match between the two tables over Harry in fact. His new friends – if they could really be called that – had matched James for every shout and curse, defending Harry's right to talk to whomever he wanted to.

James hadn't talked to him for a month after that one.

Only after receiving a Howler from their mum had he apologized for ignoring his little brother. Lucius had of course taunted him to no end after the Howler had caught on fire and destroyed itself; all eyes in the Great Hall had been on the elder Potter during that little scene.

And of course Harry didn't regret his decision of 'telling' on his older brother for being mean to him. If it got him his way, then why not?

Very Slytherin of him if he said so himself.

So Harry hung out around Gryffindor Tower, and though he received a few odd looks, he was welcomed. James had to beat a few to their senses after trying to bad mouth his little brother, because even though he was a Slytherin, James was _very_ protective.

Truthfully Harry enjoyed spending time with James, they were only two years apart after all, and being the little brother to a suave Quidditch player had its perks. The girls loved James' 'adorable little brother' and if he attended the Quidditch games and practices he was lavished with attention by James' 'groupies' as Sirius liked to call them.

It didn't hurt that he looked like a mini James to begin with. Everything they did was similar, right down to the way that they laughed. It all came down to the eyes.

Because of course, Harry's were a bright emerald while James' were hazel. A fact which Harry teased his brother about everyday, how _he_ would make a better match with Lily since his eyes were so much like hers.

James really had to work on the little crush he had on Lily. Even if it only proved to be a fling, the elder Potter was totally smitten.

And it was sickening how much so.

James had tried every trick in the book to gain Lily's attention, both good _and_ bad. From buying the witch trinkets of affection, to practically stalking her – Harry winced at the thought – the last one hadn't worked out too well for his brother. He had been hexed so badly that he was confined to the Infirmary for a week straight, and whether or not Madam Pomfrey had a hand in his slow healing or not, couldn't be said.

Harry snickered silently. It was so much fun teasing James, he knew that Lily had some feelings for his brother, he had become like a little brother to the witch truthfully and she enjoyed talking to him. But he would never tell James that, it was more fun to tease him.

"Mr. Potter!" An irritated voice snapped him out of his daydreaming.

Harry quickly turned toward McGonagall with an innocent smile. "Yes Professor?"

"I asked you for the correct term of a witch or wizard able to transform into an animal." McGonagall repeated sternly.

"What?" The boy frowned.

"Oi, what's it called when you can become an animal?" One of the Gryffindors explained from across the room.

"Oh!" Harry smiled sheepishly. "They would be an Animagus."

"Very good Mr. Potter, though you are lucky Mr. Brown chose to help you." She chided. "Two points to Slytherin and Gryffindor."

Harry ducked his head after shooting the Gryffindor a thankful glance. It wasn't as though he didn't know what an Animagus was – he smirked thoughtfully – he just hadn't been paying attention to McGonagall's drabble.

_I'd have to be stupid not to know what an Animagi is._ His gaze shifted away from the front once more. _After all, the Marauders are unregistered Animagi._

He sighed at that thought, he had wanted to join the older boys but they had claimed it was too dangerous. The only reason they were doing it was because of Remus, though they didn't know that Harry was aware of Remus' lycanthropy.

_It's not fair, why can't I be an Animagus too?_

"Mr. Potter, am I going to be forced to give you detention?" McGonagall snapped.

Harry jumped in his seat yet shook his head wildly. "I'm sorry Professor." He apologized quickly.

A stern glare was sent his way. "If I am forced to tell you to pay attention _once_ more Mr. Potter I will not hesitate to – "

The signal for the end of class suddenly interrupted her speech and Harry sighed in relief as he hurriedly grabbed his bag and darted out the door.

_That was close, I thought she would definitely give me detention for – _

"Omph!" He ran face first into a solid chest, his momentum sending both their bodies tumbling to the ground, in his shock Harry suddenly found his lips smashed against another pair.

His eyes flew open immediately and he panicked as he saw who was under him.

"Snape!" He squeaked as he pushed himself away.

"Get _off_ Potter." He scowled darkly.

Harry shot up and viciously wiped at his mouth. _I can't believe I kissed Snape!_ His mind panicked. _Merlin, that doesn't count as my first kiss does it?_

"Eloquent as always Potter." Snape smirked as he slowly stood.

Harry flushed deeply. "Er…sorry 'bout that."

"Whatever." The boy brushed it off. "Just get out of my way before I'm forced to hex you."

"Hey!" Harry protested. "It's not my fault you weren't watching where you were going, there's no need to bite my head off."

"It was your fault." Dark eyes flashed. "Now _move_."

Harry was pushed to the side none too gently as Snape continued down the hall.

_I can't believe him!_ He winced and rubbed his brow which was feeling slightly sore. _He acts like nothing happened, as though we didn't just…kiss…_

His eyes shot open as it finally hit him. "_Oh my – !_"

"Harry!"

He turned with wide eyes, mouth hanging open in shock as his brother sidled up next to him.

"You alright there?" James frowned.

"Snape…I just…" He couldn't form the words as his brain melted and proceeded to shut down.

"What'd that bastard do to you Harry, I'll kick his arse if he was teasing you again." The Marauder growled warningly.

"N-no." The green eyed boy managed to shake himself out of his shock. "I'm fine."

Hazel eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Alright then." James nodded slowly. "Come on, I'll walk you to your next class."

Harry nodded numbly, thoughts racing wildly, finally narrowing in on one particular question.

_Oh Merlin, does this make me gay?_

* * *

Zoomi is the best beta! Bwahaha! hehe, thanks 4 the reviews guys. i luv it.

-Red

olivialynlee: Hehe:_grins_: sank u.

Starr Light1: Well I'm glad u like it :_smiles_: 'nd it seems like I update everyday, we'll see.

hikag: Yeah, I tried to make Harry like an annoying little brother, 'cus that's what I'm used to. I'm glad u don't mind his personality though.

Althea: Yay, a minion!

Princess Pearliest: Yes, u got it:_grins_: Sev's kinda just using Harry when they do get together, so mean.

Lord Sypion: Sank u, sank u, next chap coming up!

Ryo: Um, I'll try to send u the link through mail 'cus I can't put links here. :_laughs_: I'm glad yur enjoying the ride so far.


	4. I Do Not Like Snape

The day had ended on a quiet note, nothing spectacular happened, no hexes were thrown, no adventures to lighten the day.

Harry chuckled silently. Sirius hadn't gotten his revenge either, though that just meant he would have to watch his back for a while.

But now was the time of day when assignments were done, so Harry didn't have to worry. Though not everyone was happy about doing homework either.

Harry was one of these people.

_Stupid homework._ He pouted as he studied his blank parchment. Why they had to know the properties of Ashwinder eggs he would never know. Though that wasn't saying much seeing as Harry was failing Potions anyway. Seriously, what was the point!

_Stupid Slughorn, why does he assign useless essays?_ He huffed. _It's not as though I'm going to be making a love potion._

He twirled his quill. "Ashwinder eggs are highly flammable anyway." He scoffed. "I'd have to freeze them immediately so they wouldn't burn…" His eyes widened. "Hey, that's it!"

He quickly jotted down his answer and set down his quill.

_Sigh._

"Now I'm bored."

_Wait, I still have to do my Transfiguration homework._ Harry groaned and forced himself to take out anther paper. _Why me! _

"I don't want to do this right now." He muttered.

Harry sighed quietly to himself as his thoughts wandered away from boring lessons and annoying professors.

He was lonely now that he thought about it. He didn't really have any friends in his year, and the ones he did have he didn't feel close to. Harry wanted a friendship like his brother had with the Marauders; he wanted someone who he could talk to and feel close to.

_I need to find myself a girlfriend like James._ He mused. _Hm, though personally I think Padfoot and Moony have something going on._

He tapped his quill idly as he frowned to himself.

_Who though? Not just any girl._

The young Slytherin turned toward his empty parchment and scowled.

_Maybe someone like Lily…_ He grimaced at the thought; Lily would always be like a sister to him.

"So no incest." He chuckled.

Harry smiled as he found himself doodling on his paper, it was a stick figure of course, the young Slytherin didn't think of himself as an artist. He colored in the robes of the figure and frowned.

Who was the perfect girl for him?

She had to have a nice smile, someone who didn't hide their feelings. And tall, she had to be somewhat taller then himself.

His quill continued to scratch out his picture. _What about hair?_

Long, dark hair was good. Lily's hair was nice, but Harry preferred black, it was mysterious and sexy.

_Now Severus has nice hair._ He chuckled silently. _Though it's always tinged with those stupid chemicals from his potions.__ If he actually took the time to wash it a bit more I'm sure he could make it look nice. _

Harry's eyes widened.

_Wait, why am I thinking abut Snape?_

His lips suddenly tingled and he remembered the kiss. He shook his head wildly. "No, that was nothing." He tried to tell himself. "A mistake, nothing but a mistake..."

Then why couldn't he forget the way their lips had pressed against each other? Why couldn't he forget the warmth of Snape's body?

Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands. "No, this isn't happening."

_I'm going crazy._ A quaking hand ran through wild locks.

He whimpered as he then saw his parchment. The stick figure had turned into Snape, tiny hearts fluttering around his scowling head. The teen laughed helplessly.

"I'm obsessed. Totally and utterly obsessed."

Though if he allowed himself to think about it, Snape _did_ have a nice arse.

_Merlin, I'm gay._ Harry felt his stomach clench. _No, I can't be, it's not possible... _He groaned. _But no straight guy thinks about another wizard's arse._

He shot up, homework forgotten as his world went crashing down around him.

_I have to talk to someone._

He threw his cloak around his shoulders and quickly strode across the room, not sparing a second glance to his dorm mates who watched on curiously as he brushed past them.

Harry quickly stumbled down the stairs two at a time, managing not to break his neck in the process.

_I have to get out._ He thought in a panic.

The dark headed boy jogged toward the portrait door, managing to pass by everyone without being stopped. His luck of course was anything but good.

Just as he opened the door to the hall beyond, he ran into a warm body and felt himself stiffen at the familiar feel.

_Please don't be… _

Harry slowly looked up and froze. "S-snape."

The Fates were against him!

Snape, accompanied by Lucius, were entering through the portrait as Harry had tried to make his escape. They glanced down at him with twin looks of contempt.

"Potter." The cold drawl was nerve shattering to Harry's thumping heart.

_Merlin, this is not my day._ He inwardly groaned.

Slowly – without taking his eyes off the pair – he sidled around the two wizards and gulped as he shot into the hall. The portrait slammed shut behind him and he tensed as he heard their muffled conversation through the door.

"What's _wrong_ with that boy?" Lucius sneered.

"Besides him being a Potter?" Snape retorted. "I don't want to know, he's been following me around most of the day. I think our little spat with the Gryffindors this morning addled his brain."

_What!_ Harry growled. _I haven't been following him! _

He glared at the portrait angrily before storming off; he had more important things to worry about.

A few halls and shifting staircases later he was at his destination.

The Fat Lady watched him with a thoughtful expression. "What's wrong dear?" She asked kindly.

Harry pouted. "I'm having personal problems." He replied with a sniff.

"Ah, I see." She nodded knowingly. "Having problems with your boyfriend, are you."

Harry's mouth dropped open in shock before his face crumbled in horror.

"Remus!" He wailed before pounding at the door.

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AN: I just want to quickly thank everyone who has me on their alert/C2/favs. U guys r so cool! Especially the ones who review, but I still luv all u that just read too, as long as u enjoy the fic, that's the main goal. Thank u!

-Red


	5. I Like You A Lot

"Harry, calm down and tell me again what's wrong." Remus grabbed the boy's shoulders.

Harry sighed brokenly. "I-I think I'm gay Moony." He whispered.

The elder teen stared at him for a moment before smiling and chuckling lightly. "Why that's nothing to be worried about Harry."

Emerald eyes widened. "You don't understand, I c-can't be a pouf. James would skin me alive." He bit his lip. "And _then_ he would tell our parents."

Remus frowned and ruffled Harry's head. "I'm sure he wouldn't react in that fashion." He murmured. "After all, Sirius and I are in a relationship."

Harry jerked away. "Y-you are?" He asked almost hopefully.

The tawny haired boy smiled cheekily. "You mean you couldn't tell?" He teased.

"I wasn't sure." Harry flushed.

"Well we are, so don't worry too much about James' reaction if you choose to tell him." Amber eyes flashed mischievously. "So how did you come to the conclusion that you're gay?"

"I-I – "

"Who's gay?" A voice interrupted.

Harry jumped as Sirius suddenly appeared at his side. The Gryffindor flashed a grin at the tense Slytherin.

"What's wrong Potter?" He teased.

"N-nothing."

Remus sighed. "Harry thinks he's gay."

Sirius' eyes brightened immediately. "Really? That's great, now we'll have another couple to have hot kinky sex with."

"Sirius!" Remus cried.

"Couple?" Harry squeaked, ignoring his other words.

Padfoot walked around the couch Harry was perched on and fell beside his boyfriend.

"Well of course, there has to be a bloke you like. That _is_ how you figured out you were queer, right?"

Remus swatted him on his thigh. "Do you have to use that word?"

He sighed. "_Fine_, when did you figure out you were a flaming homo?"

"Siri you're not helping." Remus huffed at Harry's shocked look. "I take it you just discovered this today?" He asked gently.

Harry nodded numbly.

"Well then, who's the lucky bloke?" Sirius prodded.

"Er…" Harry tensed. "I don't think I can tell you." He admitted.

"Is he in Slytherin?" Remus asked gently. "We won't hate you if you choose a Slytherin." He reassured.

_But you'll hate me when you find out who it is I like._ Harry thought mournfully.

"He's in Slytherin." Harry admitted. "But he's older then me." He muttered.

Sirius laughed. "Is that the only problem? Harry, it doesn't matter about age." He blinked. "Well, unless it's a teacher."

"No!" The younger squeaked. "He's not a teacher."

"Oh, well then that's good." Padfoot chuckled.

Moony nodded. "If you're afraid about the age difference it's alright." He leaned forward and patted Harry's leg. "If you really like this guy you should confront him and see if he likes you too."

Harry nodded. _They don't understand at all._ He sighed. _This isn't just some guy, this is Severus Snape. Their enemy!_

"Thanks." Harry sighed. "For helping me, I was really freaking out." He carded through his hair nervously.

"Well if you aren't sure, just come and talk to us, we're here to help." Remus smiled calmly.

Harry nodded. "I will." He stood up with a last glance around the room. "Er…could you _not_ mention this to James?"

"Now Harry, there's no need to be ashamed." Remus chided.

He blushed. "I know, I mean, just for now, until I find the nerve to do it myself."

Sirius laughed. "Of course mate."

Harry seemed relieved. "Thank you." He shifted his cloak. "Well, I guess I should get back now, before Filch catches me past curfew."

"Night little Prongs." Sirius called joyfully.

"Good night Harry." Remus smiled.

Harry waved over his shoulder as he left Gryffindor Tower and headed back toward the dungeons. He had a lot to think about.

_Should I confront Snape? If it was anybody else I'm sure Remus' advice would work. But not with Sev…wait, since when is he Sev!_ Harry groaned.

"Why am I so obsessed with him! He didn't even kiss me _willingly_! It was just an accident!" He ranted.

The silence around him was unnerving and unconsciously he pulled his cloak tighter about his shoulders. Shadows shifted in the sparse light, forcing Harry to walk faster, his arms tense at his sides as he continued to shoot nervous glances over his shoulder.

_This castle is too creepy._ Dark eyes darted about. _Especially the dungeons._ He shivered.

"Stupid Dumbledore, I bet he puts us Slytherins down here because he doesn't like our House."

_Those stupid ghosts hang out down here too. For all I know they could be watching me right now…_ His pulse quickened. _What if I run into – _

"_Shit!_" He screeched as he bumped into something solid.

"You _again_ Potter?" A disdainful voice questioned. "Why are you wandering the halls so late?"

Harry was shaking furiously, as though his body was freezing in the cool dungeon air. His wide eyes managed to glance up in his fright and he felt a burning heat spread across his face.

"Severus." He breathed.

A dark brow was arched. "When did I give you permission to use my name Potter?" Snape demanded.

"Sorry." The emerald eyed youth lowered his head.

"Why have you been following me Potter? This isn't the first time we've run into each other today, and I'm not one to believe in coincidence."

"I'm not stalking you if that's what you think." Harry glowered, remembering Snape's previous conversation with Malfoy.

"Just as you weren't listening to my private conversation." Snape retorted coolly.

_You were talking about me first._ Harry looked away, refusing to deny that he had overheard the older boys.

"I'll ask again. Potter, why are you out here so late. Are you _trying_ to loose House points?" His black eyes flashed. "Want the Gryffindors to win?" He hissed.

"No!" Harry retorted angrily. "I was talking with someone." He replied lamely.

"A late night rendezvous with your girlfriend? I take it she's not in Slytherin." Snape sneered.

There was a soft growl. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Boyfriend then." Snape grinned viciously. "Is little Harry a fairy boy?" He taunted.

A quick thrill passed through his stomach at hearing his name said with such a sexy voice, but then Snape's other words broke through and Harry's temper flared.

"I don't have a boyfriend either." He spat. "Anyway, Remus and Sirius said it didn't matter if I was queer."

"So the two Gryffindors are poufs. Probably fucking each other too." Snape smirked.

_Oh no, I just told him their secret!_ Harry paled. "They aren't queer." He said quickly. "They were just saying that for my benefit."

"James' little brother is a fag." The boy moved forward, slowly walking in a circle around Harry's slight form. "I bet he just _loves_ that."

"Leave me alone." Harry turned away. "I haven't done anything to you, so why do you keep bothering me?"

"I hate Potters." Snape whispered in his ear. "You are no exception."

"You hate me?" Harry repeated softly.

Severus pulled away sharply. "What's wrong with you today Potter? You're acting like an emotional woman. It's not as though you like me, so why does it matter if I hate you or not?"

Harry exhaled loudly. "That's just it, I _do_ like you, and it's all because of that stupid kiss that meant nothing!" He cried in frustration.

"Kiss?" Snape repeated with a frown.

"In the hall earlier, when I ran into you." _Of course you wouldn't remember._

There was a harsh bark of laughter. Harry frowned as the older teen continued to laugh at him.

"You call that a kiss? Oh Potter, you _are_ a virgin." Snape shook his head in mirth.

Harry stiffened. "So I'm inexperienced, that doesn't prove anything!"

"Stick with boys your own age Potter, I don't have time to waste on precious little virgins." He turned and began to walk away. "I'm not a queer anyway, so don't try to change my mind."

Harry watched numbly as his first crush cruelly smashed his heart, and then so nonchalantly left him alone to pick up the pieces.

_Why did I have to fall for such an arse?_ Harry sighed dejectedly as he too continued towards the dungeons.

"I'll have to tell Remus that his plan failed." He scoffed.

Silently he hoped that his luck would be better by tomorrow.


	6. Follow Him, Okay, Sure

"It didn't work guys." Harry sighed as he slumped next to Sirius and Remus the next morning.

"Oi, Harry, have you forgotten which House you're in?" Sirius cocked an eyebrow. "The other tables are going to be talking if they see you over here."

Harry snagged a piece of toast with an uncaring shrug. "What's your point?" He smirked. "It's not like you don't enjoy the attention."

He buttered his breakfast as Sirius grinned. "So true Potter." He leaned back in his seat as heads began turning in their direction.

Remus shook his head and turned toward Harry. "What didn't work Harry?" He asked, referring to the teen's first words.

Emerald eyes darkened. "I confronted him and he was a right bastard about the whole thing."

The werewolf winced in sympathy. "I'm sorry my advice wasn't any help."

Sirius jumped back into the conversation. "You see, I told you Rem, Slytherins are a whole different issue." He grinned. "They aren't like you or me, they're snakes."

"Excuse me." Harry scowled. "Yeah, I'm still here."

The Gryffindor continued with a laugh. "What you have to do is follow him."

"Follow him?" Harry repeated with a frown.

Remus shook his head and buried his face in his hands. "Not anther one of his stupid ideas." He groaned.

"Come on Moony, I have good ideas." Sirius pouted.

"No, you have foolish ideas that get people hurt or in trouble."

Harry looked between the two.

"So I have to follow him?" He repeated.

Sirius laughed. "You see Moony, Harry likes my ideas."

Remus shook his head. "Which only proves how alike he and James are." He retorted.

"Who's like me?" The elder Potter demanded as he sat beside Sirius.

"Harry is." Sirius replied. "Remus says it's because you two are stupid enough to listen to my ideas."

"Aw Moony, Padfoot has good ideas." James laughed.

The amber eyed youth snorted and turned toward his orange juice. "So where is Peter this fine morning?" He effectively changed the subject.

James shrugged. "Don't know." He shot a glance over his shoulder. "Could've sworn the little bugger was following me."

Sirius scoffed. "Of course he was, Wormtail has a crush on you Prongs." He said with a blank face.

Harry sniggered as James seemed to pale. "You're not serious are you?" He gulped. 

"Of course I am." Padfoot replied in hurt voice.

James shakily stood. "He _has_ been following me a lot lately." He admitted. "I…I have to go." He said hurriedly as Peter suddenly showed up.

He brushed by the Pettigrew without a "good morning", causing the latter to frown in confusion. The chubby boy sat and sent a worried glance at his friends.

"What's wrong with James?"

Sirius pulled a sad expression, his lower lip quivering for show. "I don't know, he asked if I was Sirius and I said yes." He sighed heavily. "Then he ran off."

Harry burst out laughing at his side and Remus looked skyward with a shake of his head. "Why me?" He sighed.

"That was brilliant!" Harry smiled. "Very Slytherin."

"Eh, I don't know about Slytherin." Sirius chuckled. "Just doing my daily work, being a Marauder isn't easy you know."

Peter gained a worried expression. "We have to do work?" He squeaked.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "No you prat, I was joking."

"Oh." He seemed relieved.

Harry turned away with a shake of his head, his eyes wandered toward his own table and caught a dark gaze.

_He's watching me!_ A thrill passed through him as Snape turned away.

The wild haired boy smiled to himself. Perhaps Sirius' idea had some merit; surely it couldn't hurt to try.

_Fine._ He swore silently. _You want to play hard to get, then I'll simply follow you until you give in._

He smiled happily to himself as James stormed back into the Great Hall with an angry expression.

"You liar, Padfoot, I can't believe you told me he had a crush on me!"

Sirius leaped from his seat before James could hex him and waved at his friends. "See you later mates, looks like I got an angry Potter on my tail." He laughed gleefully.

"Get back here" James cried.

"But Prongs, you asked me if I was Sirius! And last time I checked I was!"

There was a soft sigh as Lily sat beside Harry. "Boys." She shook her head.

_Boys indeed._ Harry's eyes made their way toward the Slytherin table once again. _If I play my cards right I'll have the boy I want by the end of the day._

His inner voice laughed evilly as he stuffed the rest of his toast in his mouth, time for his plans to commence.


	7. Stalking Proves Successful

_Damn Potter._ Severus glanced about the hall. _I swear he's stalking me._

He had run into the insufferable brat twice. _Twice_! And the day hadn't even fully started! It seemed the stupid boy knew his entire schedule. _How long has this little crush been going on exactly!_

Severus sighed and rested against the stone wall, gently massaging his temples. _Merlin, I'm too young to be having migraines._ He winced.

He would have rather stayed in his dorm all day, even at the risk of skiving off class. Anything was better then having the youngest Potter mooning over him. He shuddered at the thought.

Having another male after him was discerning enough, but did it have to be _him_? The boy was James' clone for crying out loud!

_Homosexuals._ He grimaced, once more walking. _Do I come off as being queer?_ Severus thought desperately.

He shook his head. He was raised in a _proper_ home, homosexuals were not accepted, tolerated to an extent perhaps, but never welcomed.

And now, he had that _boy_ chasing after him! It was disgusting and wrong!

Why couldn't the fool be like his prat of a brother? Even the arrogance was more acceptable then the way he was now, what the boy needed was to find himself a girlfriend.

Even Severus himself wanted a girlfriend. But everyone made fun of his looks, pointing at his too large nose and greasy hair.

_Useless, all of them._

It was no secret that the elder Potter had somewhat of a crush on the Evans girl. Severus also harbored feelings for the witch, though he was more reluctant to show them.

_She's nothing but a dirty Mudblood._ He scowled at the portraits he passed. _How could I possibly have feelings for her?_

But he knew why, she was beautiful, and she had a good hand in Potions. The perfect girl for him, her only faults were the fact that she was a Gryffindor and a Mudblood, two traits that made her all the _less_ desirable.

He had become obsessed with her though, and with his inability to have her.

_Fucking Potter gets everything he wants._ His eyes narrowed.

"_Severus_." Ignore it. "Hey Snape!"

He stiffened, it was _Him_. Slowly he turned, forcing his face into his habitual scowl.

"What do you want?" He spat.

Harry frowned. "You've been avoiding me." He sounded hurt.

Severus arched a brow. "And _you_ have been following me." He crossed his arms. "Why."

"I told you already, I like you." Harry huffed. "Don't think this is any easier for me, I didn't know I was a pouf."

"Well I'm happy I was able to clear things up for you, now I must be going to class." He said dismissively.

"But – "

Severus scowled. "I don't like you Potter." He made to move past the boy. "Let it go."

Harry reached out desperately. "You can't just walk away Severus, _please_, give me a chance." He pleaded, clutching at the wizard's robes.

"I don't like _men_." Dark eyes narrowed.

"What do you want me to do, I'll do anything." Harry bit his lip helplessly. "Just give me one chance."

Something flickered in the other's face. "_Anything_?" He murmured.

The younger winced, yet nodded. "Yes, anything."

_This is the perfect revenge, Severus Snape, dating James Potter's younger brother? It's just too delicious._

A slow smile made its way across Snape's face. "You know I could make you do terrible things Harry." He murmured, inwardly crowing at the besotted look he received when using the boy's name. "Very terrible things."

Harry nodded and glanced down. "I know."

The elder grinned; the younger wizard was obviously head over heels if he wasn't fighting. But he wouldn't jump into such an important decision just because of the power. He was a Slytherin after all; he had to think of the benefits first.

_His eyes are like hers._ Severus frowned thoughtfully. _Perhaps I can look past the fact that he is a Potter for the moment. He has some girlish qualities, it shouldn't be too hard to pretend._

He came to his decision.

"Very well, for now I shall allow you to be my…_partner.."_ He grimaced.

The reaction was immediate as Harry's eyes lit up happily. "Really?" He breathed in amazement.

Severus forced himself to remain emotionless as he inwardly screamed. _The fool, I can't believe he's happy about something so useless._

"Yes." Severus replied sweetly, sarcasm oozing and thick.

Harry wasn't deterred though and he found enough courage to actually cross into Snape's personal space and hug him.

_Oh my – _

The embrace was broken and Harry smiled sweetly. "Thank you so much," he said softly. Before Snape could move, he had bound off down the hall and around a corner.

_He touched me…_ Severus' eyes remained wide and terrified. _He touched me._

Shakily, his hands rose to his face and he stared at his palms in shock. Within the next second his wand was whipped out and he was casting Scourgify on himself in a near panic.

_Filthy, dirty, I can't believe he touched me!_ He glowered at the empty corridor.

He would have to accept the slight touches though if he was to have his revenge. It would be worth it, just to see the elder Potter's face when he found out about his brother's betrayal.

Severus smirked evilly.

_Fools, who needs love anyway?_

* * *

Zoomi, i luv u! 


	8. I Luv Gryffindors

"It worked!"

The Gryffindor couple currently snogging on the couch jumped up in alarm.

"The Slytherins are attacking! Remus, battle stations!" Sirius cried as he fell to the floor.

Remus laughed. "I think it's just one Slytherin Padfoot." He straightened out his wrinkled clothes, his hair ruffled and cheeks flushed as he smiled at Harry.

Sirius peeked up from the floor. "Ah, and it's my favorite Slytherin too! Well besides that really flexible one that I talked into having sex with me." He admitted thoughtfully.

"Sirius!" Remus smacked his head.

Harry smiled, he was too happy to mind their playful bickering.

"You guys, it worked!" He said again.

Both turned to look at him with grinning expressions. "So you continue to tell us, but we don't know _what_ exactly worked." Remus smiled.

The emerald eyed boy flushed. "Sorry." He muttered, immediately becoming happy once more. "But I did it! I followed him just like Sirius said and he agreed to go out with me!"

Sirius crowed joyfully while Remus stared in amazement.

"It actually worked?" He asked in shock.

"Of course, how could you ever doubt me?" Sirius clapped his boyfriend on the shoulder.

"I have very good reason to doubt you." He retorted. "You aren't the most reliable person." He said flatly.

"You wound me Moony!" Sirius fell onto his back.

Remus rolled his eyes and turned back toward Harry. "So Sirius' ingenious plan actually worked." He repeated. "Details Harry, please."

Harry flushed. "Okay, it didn't go that smoothly, I was following him up until second period." He admitted. "I figured out what classes he had so it wasn't too difficult."

"Hm, very Slytherin of you." Remus nodded approvingly.

"Of course." Harry smiled at his praise. "So I cornered him when I saw him walking alone in the hall." He continued.

"Did you ravish him Harry?" Sirius asked excitedly. "Tell me you ravished him!" He pleaded.

"No, I confronted him again though, and I asked him why he wouldn't go out with me." _Demanded is more like it._ "He said he didn't like blokes."

"How did you get him to agree then?" Remus frowned. "Harry, if this is just some experiment for him you could get hurt."

Sirius waved him off. "Come on Remus, Harry's got the looks to turn any straight bloke queer."

Harry blushed. _That and I practically agreed to become his slave._

"Sirius, I'm being…serious." Remus rolled his eyes as his boyfriend laughed. "James will kill us if we let his little brother be hurt, and it was your idea to stalk this fellow in the first place."

"Hm, you've got a point there." Sirius nodded, pushing back a few stray locks from his face. He hefted himself up and sat beside Remus once more. "Come on and sit down Potter, there's no point in standing unless you plan on leaving soon."

Harry shook his head and sat. "No, I don't really have any plans." He admitted.

Remus raised a questioning brow. "You aren't going to spend time with your new boyfriend? Perhaps this isn't going to work out if you two aren't even close this early on in the relationship."

_Boyfriend? Merlin, how I wish._ "Er, he kind of called us partners." He admitted.

"Partners?" Sirius scowled. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you opening a business together?"

"It's a term for lover." Remus informed calmly.

"Well I know that, but bugger, it sounds so unemotional." He grimaced.

Harry remained silent; he wasn't going to argue with the two Gryffindors because they had a point. But he wasn't going to question Snape either, not when he had finally gotten the older teen where he wanted him.

"You three!" An angry voice interrupted any further argument.

Harry started in surprise but then scowled as he relaxed back in his seat. "What do you want James?"

His older brother scoffed. "What do you mean, what do _I_ want? This is my House, I should be asking _you_ that, snake boy."

"Harry's visiting with us Prongs." Sirius glanced up.

"I know _that_." James huffed. "What I want to know is _why_ you're hanging out with my little brother." His crossed his arms over his chest with a glare.

"I was asking them for help." Harry spoke up.

"Help with what?" James immediately questioned. "Why couldn't you have come to me?"

_Usually you don't want to spend time with me._ Harry snorted. "You wouldn't be able to help me with my problem." He replied.

"That's not good enough." James huffed. "You're not telling me something Harry, I _know_ you."

_Merlin, do I really have to tell him?_ He glanced toward Remus and Sirius for help but they only nodded. _Dammit._

Harry sighed heavily. "Promise you won't get mad and hate me forever?" He winced.

James' eyes widened. "Is it that bad?" He came over and sat beside Sirius, staring across at his brother. "What, did you get some chit pregnant?"

_If only._ Harry chuckled. "No, you don't have to worry about that ever happening. Er, James, I'm gay." He winced and prepared himself for the explosion.

There was a thoughtful silence. "Really, well I guess that's why you've been hanging out with these two fairies." He grinned.

"Hey!" Sirius shoved his friend off the couch with a laugh. "I'll have you know that I can have any witch that I want."

Remus pointedly poked him in the ribs.

"But, I'm happy with Remus, so there's no competition for you James." He said lamely.

Hazel eyes rolled. "Right." James scoffed; he turned toward his brother who was staring at him incredulously. "What? Did you think I would scorn you or something of the sort?"

Harry nodded numbly.

"Why on earth would I do that when my two best mates are together?" James laughed. "Really Harry, do I come off as that type of person?" He smiled.

"Er…not really." Harry smiled weakly in return.

"Good." His brother nodded. "So what have you been up to? I take it there's a bloke you're after or you wouldn't be desperate enough to come to these two." He joked.

"I resent that." Remus frowned.

"Shut it Moony, he doesn't mean it, he loves us." Sirius laughed and sloppily kissed his boyfriend.

"Not in front of the children Padfoot." Remus struggled with a laugh.

The two Potters shook their heads and turned away. Harry shifted nervously as he looked at his brother from beneath his bangs.

"There is someone." He replied softly.

"Do I know him?" James asked.

_Do you ever._ Harry inwardly groaned. "Yeah, he's sort of in your year."

"Hm, an older bloke, I'll have to watch out for him then." He winked. "I can't have anyone taking advantage of my little bro."

"Er, right." Harry chuckled nervously.

"So, what's his name?"

Harry froze. _His name! Why it's Severus Snape, the wizard you and your friends hate and taunt everyday. I can't tell you his name!_

"I can't tell you." He muttered.

A dark expression crossed James' face. "And why not." He demanded.

"Don't worry Prongs, he didn't tell us either, said it was a secret." Sirius interrupted from his snog.

James scowled. "Well I think I should know who my little brother is dating. You can't trust half the wizards here, especially if they're in Slytherin."

Harry winced, James saw it and his frown deepened.

"He is in Slytherin, _isn't_ he."

"Does it matter?" Harry finally found his voice. "I can take care of myself James, you're acting like I'm your little sister, you don't have to protect me."

"Well the blokes in my year aren't very nice Harry." James retorted. "Being older then you is one thing, but a Slytherin? Couldn't you date a nice Hufflepuff boy?"

"Hufflepuff!" Harry repeated.

Sirius winced in sympathy. "Yeah James, Hufflepuffs are cute, but they're too clingy."

"Excuse me?" Remus glared.

"That's why I love Gryffindors!" Sirius kissed him again.

Harry sighed. "I'm not breaking up with him." He said stubbornly. _Not after I finally got him._

"I don't like it." James leaned back into the couch with an angry expression.

The Slytherin rose with an irritated breath. "You don't have to; it's my life and my decision."

"You're leaving then?" Remus broke away from Sirius' clinging arms for a moment.

Harry smiled at the werewolf. "It's getting late and I still have homework to do."

"Well then off with you!" Remus cried. "I can't believe you've put it off for this long!" He chided.

Sirius grinned lecherously at the younger wizard. "He's so much like a Ravenclaw isn't he?" He chuckled. "That's so sexy."

Remus elbowed him once more.

He continued to smile. "But Gryffindors are still my favorite!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Night you guys." He waved.

Remus and Sirius returned his sentiments while James sulked beside them.

_Well, at least it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be._ He tried to think positive.

The Fat Lady sent him a bemused expression as her portrait shut behind him. "Sorted out your troubles dear?"

Harry turned and shot her a brilliant smile. "Yes, everything is going to be great now."

There was a slight skip to his steps as he whistled happily to himself.

* * *

I liked this chap. Hehe, thanks Zoomi!

-Red


	9. Pawn

"What're you looking at?" The whisper sent chills down Harry's spine.

He scowled and roughly pushed away his brother's friend. "Get off Pads; I don't want Remus to get jealous again." He scoffed.

"Don't worry, Moony won't get jealous over little old you, he knows my eyes are for him alone." Sirius chuckled. "Now _who_ are you looking at?"

_The love of my life and the bane of your existence._

"Because from here it looks like you're watching Snape." He grinned wickedly.

A blush tinted his cheeks pink and Harry glanced away. "Of course not." He muttered. "Can't I watch my own House without being questioned?"

Sirius' eyes lit up. "What's this? Does little Harry have a crush on Snivelly?" He teased.

Harry felt like dying when his cheeks heated up and effectively gave him away.

"I don't know what you're on about." He turned his burning face away.

"Harry has a crush" Sirius sang tauntingly. "What will your mysterious boyfriend say about that?"

He groaned. "Shut it Black." Harry buried his face in his arms.

"Would he be jealous that you're watching another man?" He continued.

_He'd probably be relieved._ "No, he doesn't care if I look at other guys. He trusts me."

"Hm, Remus doesn't trust _me_." Sirius pouted.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I wonder why."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"One, you flirt with anything that moves." Harry replied flatly. "Two, you're a sex _fiend_ and three, well, you're Sirius Black."

"I do _not_ flirt with anything that moves!" Blue eyes narrowed. "I'll have you know that I've flirted with a statue, _that_ doesn't move."

"You thought it was a girl who had been petrified." Harry scoffed. "So that doesn't count."

"Details, details." Sirius waved away his words. "So I like to flirt, that doesn't hurt anyone."

"Flirting leads to sex, which you crave above everything else." Harry retorted.

There was silence.

"I guess, you're right." Sirius laughed. "No wonder Remus doesn't trust me."

"Speaking of which, where _are_ your fellow Marauders?" Harry shot a quick glance down the table.

Sirius grimaced. "They've taken up the task of finding your "partner" as you call him." He sighed. "I myself was given the task of watching _you_."

"What!" Harry yelped.

There was a chuckle. "I know, it's not fair." Sirius gazed toward the Slytherin table. "You know, we haven't pranked little Snivelly in a while." He mused. "Maybe I can do that."

_I can't believe they're trying to find out who my boyfriend is._ Harry's eyes locked with Snape's momentarily. _They can't find out._

He stood slowly, sending a last glance at Sirius before he headed for the doors. He hoped Severus would get the hint and follow him.

_Why does James have to stick his nose in everything?_ Harry huffed as he leaned against the wall. _Come on Sev, hurry, before they find me._

"What do you want?" An irritated voice questioned.

"They're trying to find out who you are." Harry turned toward Snape.

There was a moment's hesitation before a brow was raised. "And this concerns me how?"

Harry's mouth dropped open. "They _can't_ find out." He shook his head. "Not yet anyway."

Thin lips twitched in amusement as Severus smirked. "Harry, you worry too much."

"I worry too much?" Harry snapped. "What is _that_ suppose to – "

He was cut off as a firm mouth pressed against his own. Harry moaned in surprise but soon found his eyes fluttering shut as a wet tongue ran across his lips in a plea for entrance.

_This has got to be a dream._ Harry lifted his hands and twisted them in Severus' hair. _Mm, but it's a very good dream._

Breathlessly they pulled away when their lungs screamed for air. Their foreheads were pressed together as they panted, eyes locked and glazed.

Long fingers carded through Harry's soft locks as Severus pulled away, trailing his fingertips across a flushed cheek.

Anther kiss was slowly given, soft and gentle this time and Harry sighed blissfully. _I've gone to Heaven._

"Harry, be a dear and do me a favor." Snape whispered against his lips.

"Anything."

"I need a lock of Lily's hair." He murmured.

Harry froze, stomach dropping in fear as he pulled away. "What?"

"A hair, from Lily." He smirked. "I'm sure you know who Evans is." His fingers trailed through Harry's own locks once more.

"B-but why?"

Dark eyes narrowed. "Do not question me Harry." Snape hissed. "Or you will soon find that my patience wears thin."

The younger stiffened his shoulders as his jaw locked stubbornly. "I don't have to listen to you." _I might have a huge crush on you but this is too much._

A smirk slowly spilled across the pale face. "Harry, what would your brother think if he were to find out that his younger brother is dating Severus Snape?" He nodded his head as Harry gained a sickened expression. "You obviously didn't think this little tryst thoroughly."

"That's not fair; I'm going to tell him eventually." Harry frowned.

"But how would James react if I told him I was _fucking_ his brother's arse?" Snape leaned in close and whispered these dirty words in Harry's ear. The younger shivered at the thought.

"I don't want to hurt Lily." He remained firm in his decision.

"Very well." Snape pulled away.

Harry whimpered and sent a lost look toward the taller youth. _Is he going to leave me now?_

"_Imperio_"

Harry stiffened, eyes glazing over immediately. _What's happening!_ Harry inwardly panicked, fighting off the relaxed fuzziness surrounding his brain.

_:You__ will obey __me._

_Who's that?_

_:You__ will **obey** __me._

_Why should I?_ Harry fought. _I don't want to listen to you._

_:Obey__ me:_

"_No!_" Harry fell to his hands and knees weakly, his arms quivering as they struggled to hold him steady.

"Damn your stubbornness!" Snape snarled. "Why did you fight me?"

Harry slowly lifted his head, eyes wide and frightened. "You did Dark magic." He whispered.

"Very observant." Snape sneered darkly.

_Merlin, what have I gotten myself into?_ "Y-you're a Death Eater?"

Severus actually laughed. "Are you stupid Potter? I'm too young to be a Death Eater." He scoffed.

"You'll be expelled." Harry's eyes glinted dangerously.

"_No_, I won't."

Before Harry could scream a vial was shoved in his mouth, the thick potion cutting off his breath and effectively silencing him. _No, no, no. This wasn't supposed to happen._ Tears flooded Harry's eyes.

The bittersweet concoction slid down his throat, leaving a fuzzy emptiness in his mouth in its wake. The glass was removed as soon as Snape felt it safe and Harry greedily filled his lungs with air, coughing and spluttering with a red face.

A sharp pain surrounded his gut and Harry winced with a low whine. He weakly keeled forward, dully feeling thin arms wrap around his waist to keep him steady.

"That's it Harry." Snape soothed. "Allow your body to relax."

_Relax…my body feels so heavy._ Harry thought groggily. _But it's so nice to be held…_

Snape kissed his temple gently, lovingly. For now Harry would pretend it meant something.

"Where were you last night?" He breathed against the teen's neck.

Harry felt his eyes roll back into his skull. "I was in Gryffindor Tower." He said breathlessly.

A short nip to Harry's ear sent him melting into Snape's chest. "Don't you _like_ spending time with me?" The whisper sent chills down his spine. "Or have you grown tired of me already?"

"Never." Harry whimpered.

"Good, because I still have uses for you." Snape crooned gently, as though whispering sweet nothings to his young lover.

"Uses?" Emerald orbs glanced up in confusion.

"Yes, uses." The greasy haired Slytherin sneered. "You are a tool for revenge my sweet."

"Why?" Harry asked sleepily, the potion now taking affect quickly.

"Because I am a _true_ Slytherin and know when to take advantage of an opportunity when I see one." A strangely gentle hand stroked Harry's flushed cheek. "Why waste the chance of a lifetime, when everything is so neatly placed before me?"

"Severus." Harry slurred in protest, leaning heavily against the teen's arms.

"Shh, you're nothing but a pawn in my game Harry."

_Nothing but a pawn…_

No other thought penetrated Harry's hazy mind as he slipped into darkness.

* * *

Grr, where is this going? Never fear my dear readers, it _will_ be happy... er, I think. Hehe, u better beg my beta to knock some sense into me, or we might end up with an unpleasant fic… I don't do happy well. By the way, thanks for betaing once more Zoomi!  
-Red 


	10. This Can't Be Happening

"Hey Harry." An annoyingly loud voice echoed in his ears.

"Go away." He mumbled.

"You hear that?" The voice above him held an incredulous air. "He's telling me to go away, after we've been worried sick about him and searched through half the castle."

_What the hell?_ _James?_

"We should start working on that map idea." Another voice piped up. "We could have found him a lot sooner."

"Eh, whatever Moony. But you're right of course."

_Sirius?_

Wait…Harry slowly came back to his senses. He was somewhere soft – a couch – definitely not leather though, so he couldn't be in the Slytherin common room.

A timid eye was cracked opened and immediately closed as Harry spied the Marauders standing over him. He groaned and buried his face into the cushions.

"I think he's awake."

"Really Peter? We couldn't tell." Sirius scoffed.

"Leave him alone Padfoot." James sighed. "Harry's the one who's in trouble."

A muffled whine rose from Harry's direction.

"What was that Potter?" A light voice teased. "We couldn't hear your excuse."

Harry lifted his head and glared. "I _said_, what did I do?"

"It's what you didn't do bro." James clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "You skived off the whole day, not even _we_ do that."

"It's true; Rem is a real slave driver when it comes to class." Sirius sighed. "Bed too, now that I think about it."

He was smacked across the head. "Not in front of Harry!" Remus cried.

Harry chuckled despite himself and rubbed his eyes as he sat up. "Why am I here?" He yawned slowly.

"That's what we want to know." James said. "It's after dinner, why have you been hiding out in Gryffindor Tower all day?"

"I don't _know_, the last thing I remember was leaving the Great Hall." His little brother retorted.

"D-did someone hex you?" Peter asked fearfully.

Sirius scowled. "Come off it Wormtail, who would hex Harry Potter?"

"He has an idea Padfoot." James said lightly. "If Harry can't remember even getting here, maybe someone _did_ hex him."

"So I blacked out, that's no big deal." Harry glowered. "Maybe someone was just nice enough to bring me to my brother's dorm. There's no proof that I got hexed." _I'm not a weakling who can't take a hex head-on._

He was ignored. "Should we take him to Madam Pomfrey?" Remus asked.

Harry glared at the older boys, he was fine! With a huff he stood and moved away from the overbearing figures.

_Hey, there's Lily._ His mood brightened immediately. "Hi Lily." He smiled as he sat down beside her. "It seems like I haven't seen you in forever."

An equally bright smile greeted the Slytherin. "I know Harry, where've you been?" Lily put aside her quill as she gave her full attention to the boy.

"Here and there." Harry grinned wickedly. He spied a soft looking brush in the girl's bag. "Hey, can I brush your hair?" He asked eagerly. 

Lily laughed lightly. "Sure." She agreed to the odd request.

_Yay._ He bounced beside her and stared at the auburn hair, it really was nice looking, soft…

Harry's eyes lidded as he reached out and stroked the witch's hair. So soft…

"Ow!"

Emerald eyes jerked open in surprise as Lily pulled away with a light scowl. "Harry, you pulled my hair." She frowned.

_I did?_ "I-I'm sorry." He flushed. _What's wrong with me today?_

The witch smiled. "It's fine." She waved off his apology. "I was just surprised."

Harry flushed. "Er…I think I should go." He stuffed his hands in his pockets in embarrassment, shuffling his shoe.

"Oh, but why?" Lily frowned. "I'm not mad at you Harry, you don't have to go."

"It's not that." Harry smiled. "My brother is just being an arse at the moment."

Lily scoffed. "I know how that is." She smiled. "I don't blame you then." She turned and picked up her quill.

The Slytherin seemed reluctant to leave right away and he shot a quick glance in James' direction.

"You know, he really does like you Lily." He squeaked.

"What?"

"James, he's liked you for a long time. In fact he never stops talking abut you." Harry said nervously.

The girl's eyes narrowed. "Did he put you up to this?"

"No!" He cried quickly, he blushed at her dubious look. "I just feel bad for him; give him a chance, for me." He smiled before walking away.

As he walked past the Marauders he laughed and called out to them.

"Bye guys, I'm off to go snog my boyfriend!"

All four heads shot up as the portrait slammed shut.

"Damn that little bugger." James frowned.

--- --- ---

Down some corridors and staircases later, Harry was in the dungeons.

He stared up at the Slytherin portrait and scowled. "Why can't you just let me in?"

"Password."

"Eh, _Salazar Slytherin_."

The painting swung open with a hiss and he walked through, shooting a glare over his shoulder.

Harry slipped into the common room, trying to remain unnoticed and quiet. He almost managed it too, before he saw Snape. A grin split his face as he moved toward his boyfriend.

Severus and Lucius glanced up from their conversation beside the fire and Harry flushed as Snape actually smiled at him.

"Evening Severus, Lucius." He nodded.

"Harry." Severus smiled. "Did you have fun with your friends tonight?"

"Er…yes." He slowly sat beside the two.

"That's excellent, _Precious_."

Harry's eyes widened and then glazed over as he slumped in his seat.

"Hm, very nice." Lucius murmured. "I didn't think you were telling me the truth when you said the younger Potter was your 'lover'."

Severus merely sneered and turned back toward Harry who was staring forward dully. "Kneel beside us Harry." He demanded.

Harry slid to the ground at the wizards' feet, kneeling and placing his hands in his lap calmly.

"Did you bring what I asked?" Severus looked down on the boy.

"Yes." Harry whispered.

Lucius laughed cruelly. "You really do have him under your control Severus." He smirked. "How did you do it?"

The younger wizard shrugged, absentmindedly patting Harry's head. "A simple potion brewed and you can control even the fiercest of beasts."

"Indeed." The blonde watched Harry with a strange light in his cool eyes.

Severus turned his attention back to the kneeling figure. "Give them to me." He demanded lightly.

A clumsy hand shot forward and thrust his prize into the awaiting hand. Lucius raised a curious brow.

"You had him find string?"

Severus forced his patience to remain steady. "They're hairs." He replied lightly. "Evans' hair." He added as an afterthought.

"You have her hair?" Malfoy repeated. "Surely you aren't thinking of going through with your plan." His eyes widened as he realized the teen's goal.

"Why not, I'm a Slytherin aren't I?" Severus retorted. "And with Potter at my side it will not fail."

Lucius nodded reluctantly. "What does your potion do exactly?" He peered at Harry.

"It instills the need to serve by destroying his will."

"His will?" Lucius flicked his gaze toward Severus.

"His will to fight, his will to _disobey_." There was a haughty smirk. "I also placed a trigger so that he may pass as "normal" when not in my presence." 

"This is very well thought out." The blonde commented.

Dark eyes narrowed. "There is no room for failure." Severus chuckled darkly. "If I am to have my revenge then my plan will have to be flawless."

Harry remained posed beside them, oblivious to the words spoken around him. Lucius trailed his eyes down the slight figure.

"Perhaps I can have a turn with him." The flushed lips curled into a deadly smile.

Severus grimaced. "Lucius, I didn't know your tastes ran in that direction. Isn't Narcissa enough for you?"

"There is nothing wrong with warming your bed with a young boy from time to time." Lucius retorted. "I really don't understand you Severus, why waste such a lovely being when you have him bowing to your every need?"

"I'm not queer."

"And neither am I, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good fuck." He stroked Harry's thigh. "Such a fine specimen for being so small."

The darker of the two waved his hand. "Take him then, but do _not_ fuck him. That will be _my_ pleasure." His eyes flashed.

Lucius smiled and nodded. "That's fine, as long as I'm able to play with him for the time being." He turned his lecherous gaze onto Harry. "How does he work?"

Severus snapped his fingers and Harry rose. "Just tell him what you want him to do."

Lucius smirked. "That won't be a problem." He stood. "I think I will turn in for the night, mind if I take the pet now?"

"I don't care." Severus turned toward the fire.

The blonde nodded. "Come Harry, we have much to do."

Harry rose from the carpet and followed Lucius, eyes at half mast and sleepy. Severus remained posed on the couch, staring deeply into the fire.

_I don't care what happens to Potter, he is nothing to me._ His eyes closed. _Nothing._

Silence surrounded him and he sighed.

_What is this feeling in my chest and why does it hurt?_


	11. Bad Memories

Harry was ready for class the next day, though he looked ruffled and felt as though he hadn't slept for very long.

"You alright there Harry?" Sirius turned a questioning eye onto his younger friend.

Remus nodded beside him. "You've seemed off since yesterday, you really should have gone to the infirmary."

The Slytherin nodded as they walked through the halls, yawning all the while. "I'm fine guys." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Just feeling a bit off."

Sirius turned to his boyfriend. "Think we should tell James?" He quirked a dark brow.

"Aw, come on guys, I'm fine!" Harry protested at the mention of his brother. "Just let me walk it off – "

_That's right Harry, use your mouth like a good boy._

Harry's eyes widened as he jerked around. "Who the hell said that?" He choked.

He received worried stares. "No one said anything Harry." Remus frowned.

"I swear I heard someone say – "

_All you'll ever be good for is your hot mouth. You're such a good whore though._

"That's it, who the _fuck_ said that?" Harry cried, tugging his hair in panic as he began to shake.

"Remus!" Sirius yelled.

Harry screamed as they grabbed his arms and pinned them to his sides.

"Let me go you bastard!" Tears were streaming down his cheeks. "Get the fuck away from me!"

"Harry, calm down, it's us! Sirius and Remus!"

"No, no, no." He moaned. "Don't touch me." He began to sink to the floor weakly.

Remus' eyes were wide. "Get him to the infirmary. And hurry."

Sirius nodded and hefted Harry onto his back with little difficulty. "Damn this boy is light." He commented before they began running.

Strangely enough, or luckily, the halls were empty. The teens breezed through to the infirmary with little difficulty and slammed open the doors with a burst of energy.

"Madam Pomfrey!" Sirius yelled. "We need help _now_!"

The woman bustled out with a huff. "Alright, alright." She spied the two Marauders and scowled. "What is it then?"

Remus quickly pulled Harry down from Sirius' shoulders and held him steady as his eyes fluttered wildly.

"Oh dear! Well hurry up then, put him on a bed." She said as she scurried for the needed potions. "What happened to him?" She called over her shoulder.

"We don't know, we were walking with him to class and he claimed he heard someone talking to him." Remus shook his head as he tucked the whimpering boy under the covers. "I think…I think maybe someone did something to him and then cast Obliviate."

The woman nodded. "We'll see Mr. Lupin." She calmly placed the vials beside the bed. "Now I need to ask you two to calmly wait over there." She pointed toward two abandoned chairs.

"Yes Madam." They chorused lightly, if not worriedly.

The motherly witch waved her wand, and dealt out the potions to the motionless form. Harry had slipped into a calm slumber by that point and posed as no problem.

"Well Mr. Lupin, it seems there aren't any spells..." She frowned. "Though there is some type of potion running through his system."

Sirius lunged from his seat angrily. "Someone drugged him?" He demanded.

"Are you positive it wasn't young Mr. Potter himself?" She retorted. "I know you may not think it, but even the best of us are weak at times."

"No!" Sirius raged. "Harry would _never_ do that to himself!"

"Sirius." Remus gripped his arm lightly. "Calm down, we don't have all the facts yet."

"You believe that shit?" He cried. "You _know_ Harry wouldn't be stupid enough to abuse a potion like that."

Madam Pomfrey watched on silently. "Has he been acting different lately?" She asked quietly.

Both Gryffindors froze at her words.

She continued. "Hallucinations are a side effect of an overdose." She informed. "A sure sign of a potion abuser is if they suddenly start acting different – oddly."

The Marauders winced again. This was starting to look bad.

"I'm not saying that this is the case with Harry, but it is an option."

There was a sigh as Sirius nodded. "Thanks." He muttered. "But I still don't think Harry would do that to himself."

Pomfrey nodded. "Think what you will Mr. Black, but Harry will be staying in the infirmary until he is well enough to leave."

Remus smiled wanly. "Thank you Madam." He said politely, taking Sirius' arm. "Come on Padfoot, we need to tell James."

"Yeah, yeah." He grumbled as he was led out of the room.

The elder witch sighed as the two troublemakers finally departed. "That's all I need." She huffed. "James Potter worrying over his little brother."

Hopefully it would take a long while for the young wizards to find their leader. Her train of thought was quickly interrupted as the oak doors creaked open to emit a shadowed figure.

"I thought I told you – oh…hello Mr. Snape, I wasn't expecting any visitors."

Severus remained poised. "I heard that one of my housemates was injured."

There was a tired sigh. "Yes, Mr. Potter seems to have suffered from an overdose of some sort." She explained shortly.

Dark eyes narrowed slightly. "Is he well enough for visitors?"

"Well he isn't awake at the moment…"

"May I please see him Madam Pomfrey?" He lowered his head. "I want to make sure he's alright or I don't think I can get through the day."

"I'm not sure you should."

"He's like a younger brother to me." Severus said softly, head still lowered.

She seemed undecided for a moment. "I don't know what _James_ would say to that, but I suppose since you _are_ in the same House."

"Thank you." Severus murmured before she could withdraw the offer.

"Don't be too long though, he still needs his rest." She called as she busied herself in another room.

A cold smirk spread across Severus' features. "Never fear Madam." He whispered as he stood over Harry's prone form. "I only plan to watch."

_Why did my toy break so soon?_ His eyes raked over Harry's shivering body. _Lucius did something._ He glared.

"Damn him." He growled, a possessive hand sliding across silky locks.

_This throws off all my plans._ He fumed. _Though it might be better with Harry here instead of wandering around the school._

A long finger absently trailed across Harry's lips, they were so luscious.

_All mine._

Severus was lost in thought when the nurse returned.

"Brothers indeed." She raised a brow.

The elder pulled away as though burned and stared at the nurse for a long moment.

"James mustn't find out." He murmured before turning and leaving.

"Such an odd one that boy is." She said to herself as the doors shut behind him.

Severus sneered as he strode through the corridor, robes billowing behind him in a show of power.

_My revenge will soon be complete._ A dark chuckled escaped him. _And it's all thanks to Harry Potter._

Subconsciously he hoped the boy would recover soon. If he was truthful with himself he would admit he missed Harry's presence, but being the Slytherin he was, he accounted the odd emotion to a form of gloating.

After all, the game would be nothing without his little pawn at the center of attention.

He didn't miss Potter.

He repeated his mantra a few more times to drive the point home. One could never be too careful when it came to such matters after all.


	12. Lily's Kinda Mean

We…we reached 100! Omg, thank u so much, I luv u all!

* * *

"What did you do to him?" Severus demanded.

The angry teen was currently in the Slytherin common room, Lucius lounging on the couch beside him.

"Temper temper Severus, you gave me permission to use your pet." He shrugged uncaringly. "It's no fault of mine if he can't handle a _real_ wizard."

"You arrogant – "

"Watch your tongue Snape, I outrank you." He smirked haughtily. "If you push me far enough, I just might tell Potter what happened to his littlebrother."

"You're more to blame then I am."

"Ah, but you forget that _you_ brewed and distributed the potion." Lucius chuckled. "I think Potter would loath you just a _bit_ more."

"What are you trying to pull?" Severus hissed angrily. "Are you _trying_ to ruin everything?"

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Severus calm down, I did nothing to _harm_ him." He laughed. "All I did was give him a bit of scotch to loosen him up."

"You gave him alcohol?" The dark eyed boy scowled. "You _never_ mix potions with alcohol. Why did you have to "loosen" him up in the first place, I told you that the potion would suffice."

"I like my boys loose." Lucius shrugged.

Severus growled. "You are truly a fool."

The blonde angrily stood. "Remember your place Severus; you are only a fifth year." The seventh year warned.

"We will move forward with the plan." Severus said instead, ignoring the warning. "Remember that we will _both_ benefit from this."

"Yes," Lucius mused. "Embarrassing the Marauders' leader, it is such a rewarding conquest." He sneered. "When?"

Onyx orbs narrowed. "Now."

"What? _Now_?"

Severus nodded. "While Harry is in the infirmary, he will only be in the way otherwise."

"Mm, very well." The aristocrat agreed, ignoring the fact that Severus had used Harry's first name.

"Let's go."

--- --- ---

"Lily." A chilling voice purred.

The redhead turned, a question on her lips. "Oh…it's _you_." Her eyes narrowed.

Lucius smiled charmingly. "Why Ms. Evans, by the tone of your voice, I would think you disliked my company."

"Now where would you get an idea like _that_ Lucius." She retorted sarcastically.

"Hm, all the other young witches like me, but _you_ don't." He stated as he circled around her. "Why is that?"

"No reason." She sniffed. "I just find arrogant prats unattractive."

"What about Potter?"

The witch stiffened. "What?"

"James." A leering smile. "You like _him_ don't you?" He asked innocently.

As though Lucius Malfoy was innocent.

"That's none of your business." Lily retorted. "Even if I did like him, which I do _not_, I wouldn't go around gossiping about it."

"Be that as it may, rumors spread." Lucius drawled. "There is no use denying you have a…_crush_ on James. And why not, he's handsome, a Quidditch player." He shrugged. "Not exactly my type, but you never know with the young ladies."

Lily continued walking, attempting to ignore the Slytherin. "Your type?" She repeated.

"I myself am bisexual, it's superb to enjoy the finer points of _both_ sexes."

The girl shook her head. "_What_ does this have to do with me?" She asked, slightly flustered and trying valiantly to loose the Slytherin.

"Hm, I suppose nothing." Lucius admitted with a smile. "Though it is fair warning for the younger students, I like them young." He winked. "Better keep a close watch on Harry there."

Emerald eyes narrowed. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

A fine hand was waved. "Ignore my tongue, it means nothing of course." His eyes flashed merrily. "Wishful thinking on my part I suppose."

Lily watched him warily for a few moments more before turning her gaze onto the path before her. It seemed like it was taking longer then usual to get to class. Truthfully, she was surprised James hadn't offered to walk with her to her next class, seeing as they shared it.

Lucius on the other hand, well, that was a strange occurrence. Lily hadn't seen him in class at all that day; the blonde was probably skiving off somewhere.

_Professor Flitwick is going to take points if I'm not on time._ She frowned, momentarily forgetting the tall figure trailing behind her.

With a heavy sigh she turned and sent him a tired look.

"Really Lucius, I'm going to be late for Charms if I don't hurry, Professor McGonagall kept me after class and I really – "

"What if I told you I know something about Potter that the rest of the school doesn't?"

Lily halted, standing still for a moment before she fully turned, slowly.

"You'd better not be lying to me Malfoy." Her face was set in a firm expression.

Lucius merely smiled charmingly as he held out his hand for her to take.

"Come with me Evans, I have something _very_ enlightening I would like to tell you about James Potter…"

--- --- ---

"_Evans_, hey Evans!"

The witch glanced over her shoulder and glared. "What do you want Potter?" She demanded as she saw who had called her.

James laughed slightly. "Ouch, did it get colder in here or is it just me?" He joked.

"Not just you Prongs." Sirius chirped beside him, Remus remained silent.

"Did you need something?" She prompted. "I don't have time to deal with you."

"Geez Evans, no need to bite his head off." Sirius scowled. "Who shoved a stick up _your_ arse?"

Lily glared at Sirius and turned sharply with a flip of her hair. "Whatever Black." She huffed. "I'd rather have the stick then be an outcast from my family."

Sirius' jaw dropped, James and Remus stared in shock beside him. "_What_ did you say?" He hissed.

"At. Least. I'm. Not. An. Outcast." She said slowly, venom dripping with every word.

"Lily!" Remus cried in protest.

"Oh shut it Lupin, you're just as bad as they are." She glared.

"Are you alright Lily?" James asked slowly.

There was a sneer. "Don't speak to me as though I'm dense. I'm sure you have to do that enough times with Peter."

The three Marauders stared at her in shocked horror.

"Lily – "

"Lily, there you are." A smooth voice called out.

They all turned in surprise, recognizing the voice immediately.

"What do you want Malfoy?" James demanded.

Lucius sneered down at them. "I recall saying _Lily's_ name, not yours Potter."

"_Achoo_"

They turned toward the interruption with glares. Remus frowned, rubbing his nose as he sneezed again.

Sirius cocked his head curiously. "You alright Moony?"

"I'm fine." The teen snuffled. "I think I'm smelling things."

Lucius scoffed. "Why don't you go to the infirmary with Potter's little brother? I'm sure the little whore can keep you company."

"_Bastard!_" James roared. "Leave Harry out of this!"

Lily placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Yes Lucius, this is between James and I."

"Oi, why are you even with that arse?" Sirius demanded.

"Why? Are you jealous?" She batted her eyes flirtatiously.

The narrowed eyed boy grabbed onto James' arm as the Gryffindor flinched forward.

"Lily, what about James?" Lucius gasped dramatically.

"Ah yes, _James_." Lily laughed cruelly and draped herself around Lucius. "You didn't think you had a chance, did you James?"

James fumed silently, Sirius still holding him in check.

"What's wrong with you Lily?" He whispered. "This isn't like you."

Her eyes flashed angrily. "Maybe I don't like arrogant assholes like you." She spat. "You think you own everything, always lifting your head high and strutting around like you're better then everyone else."

Lucius smirked at her side. "It's time to wake up Potter, you're _not_."

"You! You did something to her you bastard!" He screamed wildly.

The Slytherin laughed. "I did nothing to Evans." He replied coolly. "She is perfectly safe."

"_Liar_." James spat.

"Calm down James." Remus glared. "Something is obviously going on."

James turned, angry tears beginning to form in his hazy eyes. "What do you mean?"

"There's something off about Lily." He frowned. "Um, more precisely, her scent."

"Her scent?" Sirius repeated, turning toward the witch in question.

The space where Lucius and Lily stood was empty.

"Damn them!" Sirius growled.

James tiredly shook his head. "Forget it, we'll figure this out later, I want to visit Harry before dinner."

His fellow Marauders nodded silently beside him as they turned and began to head for the infirmary.

* * *

AN: Hey peeps, first off, I absolutely _adore_ u for reviewing! Eh, second…my comp totally crashed. So, updates might be a tad off. _Luckily_ I saved all my crap onto a disk. So all is not lost!

-Red


	13. Oh, This Is The Real One?

Harry wandered through the halls tiredly. He had been released from the infirmary early due to his fast healing.

It seemed he always healed fast.

_Nothing wrong with that I suppose._ He sighed.

Vaguely, he remembered the time he had broken his arm – James had tried to Levitate him down the stairs – it had taken less time then a normal wizard to heal. He was odd like that.

He ached though, his muscles protesting with every step he took. And he had no idea why he had been in the infirmary in the first place, one minute he was with Remus and Sirius, the next he was waking up in a hospital bed.

Harry missed Severus though, that thought was predominant. Even though the older teen was a right prat to him, he still had warm feelings towards him. Perhaps not _love_, but something close to it.

_What is love anyway?_ He mused.

After watching Remus and Sirius, he supposed _that_ was love. James also loved Lily, and when they finally realized they were meant to be together, perhaps their relationship would resemble love too.

But for now, Harry was left guessing as to what love felt like. He wanted to know for sure if he truly loved Severus, he was turning his back on everything by going out with the dark Slytherin after all.

_Maybe there really isn't love in the world. Maybe everyone just made up this  
grand emotion._ He scuffed his foot, the slight sound echoing into the  
silence.

"Maybe I do love him, and I just don't know." He sighed.

"Who do you love?"

Harry yelped and fell over as he tripped in shock. "_Ow_." He groaned from the floor. "It's definitely not _you_."

Lily giggled lightly. "I'm sorry, are you alright?" She held out her hand.

The young wizard grimaced, scowling at the hand as he took it and hefted himself to his feet. "I'm fine, nothing wounded but my pride."

"What is it with boys and pride?" She smiled.

Harry straightened his shoulders. "I don't know about _Gryffindor_ boys, but we Slytherins must be the best at everything we do." He shrugged and deflated. "At least that's what all the seventh years tell us."

"That's silly." Lily laughed.

"Mm." Harry shrugged again.

The quick sound of hurried footsteps interrupted their silence and echoed from down the corridor, both turned curiously. Harry recognized the figures first and allowed a small smile to show.

"Hey James, what are – "

"Get away from her Harry!" James barked angrily.

Harry frowned. "What? Why?" He glanced toward Lily who shrugged beside him.

"She was acting like a hag earlier." Sirius growled, stepping up beside James. "Throwing herself on Malfoy of all people."

"What?" Lily gasped. "How dare you!"

"You were the one pushing _us_ around." Sirius retorted.

"I would _never_ sink as low as _Lucius__ Malfoy_, that's just disgusting."

Remus remained silent, brooding. Harry looked toward him in question.

"Lily," Remus caught her attention. "Have you been around Severus at all today?" He asked.

The witch frowned. "What kind of question is that?" She shook her head, displacing a few strands of red. "I haven't seen him at all today."

Remus nodded. "That's what I thought. James, I'm not sure the "Lily" we saw earlier was the real one." He turned toward his friend.

James frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah Moony, are you trying to say that there are _two_ Lily's running about?"

The tawny head nodded. "That's _exactly_ what I'm saying Padfoot."

"I don't know." James seemed reluctant.

"Remus is right." Sirius admitted. "She doesn't have on the same clothes as the other Lily. The other one was wearing this _horrid_ green sweater."

James frowned. "That's still not enough proof."

Remus fidgeted in front of Lily. "That's the reason why I asked if she had been with Snape at all." He glanced away. "The Lily we met up with earlier smelt like Snape."

"That's why you were sneezing, isn't it!" Sirius said excitedly.

The werewolf nodded.

"I knew Malfoy was up to no good." James growled. "There's no doubt about it now, Snape and Malfoy are plotting together."

"What are we going to do about it?" Sirius perked up.

Harry grimaced. _Severus__ did something nasty to them while I was gone? This is all we need._ He groaned silently.

James moved away from their odd group. "We're going to go find them and kick their arse."

Sirius cheered, quickly pushing past Harry and Lily to stand beside his leader.

"Er, James, maybe you shouldn't." Harry bit his lip.

Narrowed eyes turned toward the younger wizard. "I'm tired of them Harry, this time we're going to put them in their place."

Lily snorted. "You three are just as bad as they are, even without poor Peter following you about." Harry nodded enthusiastically beside her.

The elder Potter scowled. "We're going to do this whether you like it or not."

Harry stiffened. "I have to go." He said hurriedly.

"What?" Lily frowned. "But Harry, where – "

He didn't wait for their reaction as he waved over his shoulder. "Bye!"

"He's up to something." Sirius murmured, James nodded as he suspiciously watched his brother running down the hall.

--- --- ---

"What did you _do_ to them?" Harry cried.

He stood before Severus, after having run through Hogwarts as fast as he could. Severus on the other hand, stared at him with a look of disgust.

"What?" He spat.

"James and his friends, what did you do?" Harry panted. "They're pissed, and they seem to think you're to blame."

If Severus looked a bit pale, Harry couldn't say, but he did remain silent, thoughtful.

"I see." He finally shrugged.

"That's it? You _see_?" Harry crossed his arms angrily. "Did you do something to them or not?"

There was a haughty smirk. "If I did, what would _you_ do about it?"

"Well, I would…" He huffed. "That's not the point."

"I think it is." Severus turned his attention away.

"_Sev_." Harry whined.

Severus grimaced. "You behave like such a _child_."

Harry pouted. "Sorry, but I still _am_."

"Indeed." Severus scoffed. "Why I even bother with you I can't say."

"Don't be mean Severus; I just want to spend time with you."

"Well I don't, now go away."

Harry became quiet for a moment and Severus believed he would finally leave him be. He was getting used to the silence when it was once more broken.

"Severus, why was Lily with Lucius earlier?" Harry frowned. "I thought _I_ was the only Slytherin she tolerated."

"I don't claim to know how the female mind works Harry." He replied with little patience.

Harry nodded slightly. "I suppose…but James said he had seen them together, and I had been with her for – "

He was silenced as Severus leaned forward and pressed their lips together. Harry allowed his body to melt into the kiss, his train of thought effectively thrown out the window.

Severus pulled Harry onto his lap, the latter eagerly straddling his waist and never breaking their kiss. Their tongues twined and twisted around each other as their lips remained meshed. The heat between the two wizards was rising and Harry shifted as his young body responded to the attention.

Finally Severus pulled away, eyes lidded as he regarded the wizard perched upon his lap.

"You should take care of that." He whispered, before pushing Harry onto the floor and walking away.

Harry's mouth dropped in shock as he stared after his boyfriend. Then it suddenly hit him that Severus had left him.

"Severus!"

* * *

AN: Er...I'm starting to see howI might be making Harry a bit of a..."Hufflepuff" as some people have told me. ButI can't help it! I'll um, work on it...I'll try, 'cus he's acting too happy for the situation. But thank u everyone! I luv u, really I do,I get so happy whenI read your reviews!

-Red


	14. Quidditch And Snogging

_My plan failed._

Severus stared moodily into the grey morning; the window was damp with perspiration and slightly fogged as his narrowed gaze pierced through it.

He wanted Lily.

He had _always_ wanted Lily, but _James_ had always been in the way. There was a reason why he hated Potter and his friends so much, besides the fact that they tormented him constantly, James had stolen Lily away.

And now he was "dating" Harry, who was just a substitute for what he couldn't have. He was settling for second best…he _never_ settled for second, it just wasn't the Slytherin thing to do.

So he had planned…and failed.

_Everything was set, what went wrong? _

It was meant to be a flawless execution, Harry stole the needed hair and Severus brewed the Polyjuice Potion to drink and transform. It wasn't a difficult task, and everything was going well.

But _Lucius_, he didn't follow directions as well as Severus had hoped, and because of him, everything had been for naught.

Severus had become Lily, he had belittled the elder Potter in a way that Evans would not. He wanted James Potter to feel like a lowly little worm, he wanted him to _hurt_.

He wanted him to _know_ how it felt to be pushed into the background, where people wouldn't worship him, where Severus was pushed everyday.

Lily was supposed to be shunned by the elder Potter after that little scene, and all the Marauders for that matter. They were supposed to hate her for her cruelty, and then, she would come to _him_. After Potter was through with her, Lily would have no one to turn to _but_ Severus.

_Lucius_ had ruined it. _Lucius_ had called him a fool.

_Everyone_ called him a fool.

Except Harry…

_No, he does not matter._ Severus roughly smeared the window with his palm, trailing fingerprints across the pane.

"Lily" was supposed to be a distraction for Potter, her scathing words were meant to wound him and push him away. He was supposed to be too depressed to play today.

"Damn Quidditch." Severus muttered grumpily.

It was Slytherin versus Gryffindor that dreary morning, and Severus was already tired of it. He didn't enjoy Quidditch days; there was too much happiness and House pride.

Not that _every_ day wasn't like that.

Severus pushed himself away from the window and strode toward the Great Hall. It was going to be chaos as soon as he opened those doors.

_I hate Quidditch._ He glared at little first years darting past him. _It's a waste of time in my opinion._

"Good morning Severus."

The wizard turned sharply, eyes narrowing distastefully. "Potter." He muttered.

Harry smirked. "I had a wicked idea after you ditched me last night." He sent a slight glare.

Severus sighed impatiently, shooting a wary glance toward the Great Hall. It would do no good for someone to see the two of them together…unless it was the elder Potter of course, then perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

_It might even make things more exciting._ He smiled secretly.

"…together? Severus! You're not even listening to what I'm saying!" Harry jabbed him angrily.

Dark orbs glared down at the shorter boy. "_What_?"

"I _said_, how about we go to the Quidditch game together?" Harry repeated.

"Quidditch game…" Severus trailed off.

"The one we're having today?" Harry reminded. "How could you possibly _forget_, we're going to kick Gryffindor's arse!"

Severus winced away from Harry's cheerful voice.

"Whatever."

"So is that a yes or no Severus?" Harry trailed after him as he began to move toward the Great Hall.

"What?" Severus glanced down as they headed toward their table.

Harry sighed irritably. "What's wrong with you today, you're really distracted. We're going to the game together whether you like it or not."

They sat beside Lucius and Narcissa, who stopped their early morning chat to send morning greetings toward the two late comers.

"What's wrong with you Severus?" Narcissa looked over his weary form. "You look like you haven't slept at all." She scowled. "Are you still going to be able to finish my Potions Homework?"

_All they do is use me._ Severus glared. "Yes _Black_, I will." He muttered darkly.

"Why don't you try to do your _own_ work for once?" Harry spoke up. "Wait, _never mind_, I forgot that there wasn't enough space in your tiny head for a brain."

The blonde gasped in shocked rage. "How _dare_ you! You worthless little – "

"_Please_ Narcissa; I am in no mood for your arguing." Lucius interrupted, draping a loose arm around her shoulders to silence her.

"Yes Lucius dear, I'm terribly sorry; I had forgotten you had a headache." The witch whimpered apologetically.

"It's fine." Lucius waved off her words, he turned toward Harry with a leering smile. "Good morning by the way." He purred.

Harry frowned. "Er, morning." He turned back toward his breakfast and stuffed his mouth with eggs in an attempt to remain out of further conversation.

Lucius chuckled. "Severus, your little pet is adorable; you should bring him to play more often."

Harry suddenly choked as Severus glared at the older teen. "Watch it Malfoy." He hissed. "And he is not my _pet_."

"Oh? What is he then?" Lucius grinned.

You could almost hear the grinding of teeth as Severus stood from the table and grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him along.

The laughter followed them out of the Great Hall as Lucius secretly taunted them.

"Severus, what did he – "

"Oi, what do you think you're doing with him?"

_This is just what I need!_ Severus growled, tightening his hold on Harry's arm, causing the boy to squeak in pain.

"Let him go Snape." James stepped up beside Sirius, who had blocked their escape.

Severus smiled sweetly. "Why Potter, Harry and I were just heading off to the Library to have a harmless conversation." His eyes narrowed. "We are allowed to talk, are we not?"

Harry gulped as he looked from his brother and friends, to his boyfriend. _Wait, boyfriend? Shit, I can't let them find out!_

"Right, we were off to talk." He laughed nervously. "I don't want to keep you from your breakfast James, so go ahead, I'll be fine." Harry said hurriedly as he began to move away.

"Harry." James said warningly.

"Good luck at your game!"

Harry turned and ran down the hall, dragging Severus behind him. When he felt he had put enough space between them, he turned back toward his boyfriend.

"I'm so sorry about that." He panted. "But I didn't want them to start putting two and two together."

Severus roughly pulled his arm away with a sneer. "Indeed, and running off down the hall with my hand in yours is not suspicious enough."

Harry scowled. "Come on; let's go get ready for the Quidditch match."

"I do not wish to attend." Severus glared.

"Well too bad, we're going." Harry stepped forward and brushed a loose strand of hair from the taller teen's face. "You know, you would look really nice if you tied back your hair once in a while." He commented.

_My hair?_ Severus stared in shock; no one ever mentioned his hair unless they were making fun of him and its texture. But Harry thought he would look nice with it tied up…

"Perhaps." He managed to choke.

Harry flashed a bright grin and tugged at a dark sleeve. "Let's go."

Severus followed meekly behind; perhaps it wouldn't be _so_ horrible to be a little nicer to Harry. He would have to see.

--- --- ---

The crowd was roaring with life as Harry and Severus stepped outside. The Quidditch Pitch was alive with movement as the students of Hogwarts filled its stands with their green and red selves.

By the time they had managed to agree on Severus' "look"; he was now sporting a green, silk tie in his hair; the game had already started.

"I knew I shouldn't have come." Severus muttered, unconsciously swiping invisible hairs from his face.

"Quit being a spoil sport." Harry laughed as they began to climb the stairs toward their stands.

They managed to push through the throng of Slytherins, hurrying toward an empty spot before it was filled by cheering fans. Because everyone was so closely pushed together, no one noticed the linked hands between the two.

"We're going to have so much fun Severus!" Harry called above the roar.

_Fun, right._

With little difficulty they found a place to stand and cheer for their team. The Gryffindors across the way booed at them and waved their red and gold flags as the Slytherins did the same.

The match had already started and the players were in the air, flying about and trying to score points. Slytherin was in the lead at the moment, Gryffindor trailing far behind. Harry grinned as he spied his brother trying to score points on their Keeper.

"_James is the worse Chaser at Hogwarts!_" He screamed in his direction.

James missed the throw and another of his teammates immediately took his place. How James had heard him over the crowd, Harry would never know, but suddenly his brother was turned and scowling in his direction.

Without missing a beat, Harry flipped him off and stuck his tongue out. Suddenly Slytherin had the Quaffle and the Slytherin Chasers managed to slip it past the Gryffindor Keeper and scored points.

James' attention was back on the game and Harry laughed.

Harry was practically jumping in joy now, he was so happy to be at the game with Severus, it could almost pass as a date. He didn't even mind if they had to be discrete, he was enjoying himself too much.

Severus watched the younger wizard from the corner of his eye. Harry's cheeks were flushed a healthy pink from the crisp breeze fluttering about their tightly wrapped scarves and his eyes were glazed with happiness.

_He looks so happy._ Severus mused, eyes switching back toward the game. _He looks soft, like a girl almost. I wonder what would happen if he were to be wearing a glamour._

His gaze darted back toward Harry's face, focusing on the boy's flushed lips.

_Why do I feel the need to kiss him?_ He frowned.

"What's wrong Severus?" Harry smiled breathlessly, his face upturned and relaxed.

Severus jerked his focus back onto the game. "It's nothing." He said dismissively.

"Don't lie to me Sev!" Harry laughed over the roar of the crowd. He grinned wickedly and slipped his hand down Severus' thigh.

_What does he think he's doing!_ Severus stiffened in surprise.

"Come with me for a second." Harry lifted himself to whisper in Severus' ear.

Without waiting for a response Harry grabbed Severus' hand and pulled him through the crowd. Another cheer went up as they made it to the stairs, Harry laughed.

"We're _definitely_ winning against Gryffindor." He called over his shoulder.

They descended the stairs and Harry then led them under the stands. Severus stood, glaring at the empty wrappers and trash littering the ground.

"What is the reason for dragging me here?" _It's filthy. _

"Kiss me." Harry murmured, locking their fingers.

"_What_?" Severus tried to pull back.

Harry held onto Severus' hands and pulled him closer, until they were chest to chest. "I said, _kiss me_." His voice was husky. "I know you want to; I can see it in your eyes."

"I don't know what you're – "

There were no more arguments as Harry tipped his head forward and smashed their lips together. Severus' muffled moaned hummed against Harry's mouth as the older boy pulled them tighter together, raking his fingers through Harry's locks.

_Yes, this is what I need. Even if it is just Harry, I want someone to love me._

Harry moaned as Severus proceeded to snog him silly, feeling the heat and lust well up between them. Their hands were everywhere at once, roaming across flushed skin as they burrowed beneath each other's sweaters and shirts.

Hips thrust upward and their crotches brushed wantonly against one another. Harry quivered at the torrent of emotions washing through him.

He was too lost in the warm tingles running up and down his spine to hear the surprised gasp behind them. Severus did however, and he broke away, eyes flaming at the person who had interrupted them.

"What do _you_ want?" He spat, straightening out his clothes.

Harry's eyes widened in fear as he blinked away his confusion and turned.

"Remus?" He squeaked, face flushing in embarrassment.

"H-harry." The Gryffindor seemed just as embarrassed, quickly shielding his eyes away from the sight.

Harry groaned and pulled away from Severus, putting space between them quickly. "Remus, it's not what you think." He said hurriedly.

Severus let out a bark of laughter, making the two wizards flinch.

"Not what it seems?" Severus chuckled darkly. "What _is_ it then Harry?"

Remus lowered his hands and laughed nervously. "He has a point Harry, there's no way it couldn't have been what it seems. You were snogging, there's no way around it."

Shaking hands tangled in dark locks as Harry whined helplessly. "Moony, please, _please_ don't tell James."

Severus crossed his arms in irritation and stepped closer to the panicking boy. Harry quickly glanced up and smiled slightly.

There was a sigh and the two Slytherins turned toward Remus in question.

"I won't tell him."

Harry's eyes widened. "What? You won't?" He seemed shocked.

"That's what he just said." Severus muttered.

Remus smiled. "No, I won't." He sighed and glanced away. "It's not my place to tell him, it's yours and you know it."

Harry bowed his head and nodded. "Yeah, I know." He glanced up again. "I'll tell him, just not right now, I don't want him to find out at this time."

The amber eyed wizard nodded. "Very well, I shall keep your secret then."

"Why are you taking this so well?" Severus glared suspiciously.

There was a short laugh. "I've actually known for a while, I was just surprised to catch the two of you snogging."

"You've _known_?" Harry cried. "How! we've kept it a secret from everyone!"

Remus chuckled and pointed to his nose. "You know why Harry." He shrugged.

Severus narrowed his eyes. He didn't like it when he was out of the loop. Something odd was going on with Lupin; there had always been something off about him.

"Let's go Harry." Severus interrupted their secret converse. "It's becoming chilly and I don't wish to watch the game any longer."

"Alright." Harry took his hand and glanced back toward the lone Marauder. "Thank you Remus."

"Anytime Harry." Moony replied with a small wave.

The Slytherin pair took their leave, Severus trying to pull his hand out of Harry's hold and Harry simply clinging on happily.

Remus shook his head. "James is going to be pissed when he finds out."


	15. I Want To Know

Clodia – :_cries_: u are so right, it _is_ the Keeper. Grr, I saw the double ee's and didn't think about it. Zoomi yur fired for not spotting the mistake either! JK, hehe thank u for pointing it out though… O.O now it will haunt me forever. JK again, it'll only bother me for a little while. :_winks_:

Docteur Gribouille – it would be awesome if u translated my fic, is there anything I need to do? Lol, or do I just leave u to it? Email me if there's anything u need.

**If anyone has questions, email me so that I may answer u! The link's on my main page.**

* * *

"I want to know who Harry's going out with." James growled.

Sirius glanced away from the game of chess that he was currently loosing. "Leave him be James, he'll tell us when he's ready." He whined as Remus took down one of his Rooks.

"He's acting odd." James continued as Sirius turned back to his game. "Something's not right."

There was a moment of silence as the soft clink of chess pieces echoed.

"Perhaps he fears you will not approve of his choice." Remus mused as one of his Pawns crushed Sirius' piece viciously.

"Remus!" Sirius wailed, eyes darting helplessly about the board.

James nodded. "I've thought of that too, but he should know that I would accept the bloke if they really like each other."

"Not if it was Snape though," Sirius chuckled. "Malfoy either for that matter."

There was a grimace. "True." James conceded.

"Well, what if it _is_ one of them?" Remus glanced up from under his fringe.

Both boys jerked toward him in shock.

"_What_?" Sirius gaped.

James nodded dumbly. "Yeah, what he said."

Remus smiled softly. "Listen, I'm all for the Slytherin bashing." He murmured. "But what if Harry _has_ chosen Lucius, or even Severus? What if he's happy?"

"_Happy_?" Sirius squeaked. "How can he be happy with one of those Slytherin gits?"

"He _is_ in Slytherin too." Remus pointed out. "He continuously reminds us."

"Yeah, but Moony, this is _Harry_ we're talking about." James laughed nervously. "He _can't_ be with Malfoy."

"Why not? And what about Snape?" The werewolf pressed.

Sirius poked his Queen moodily. "Snivellus is even worse." He muttered. "What would Harry see in _him_?"

"Perhaps it is just the fact that someone cares for him." Remus shrugged. "Or it could be the novelty of having a boyfriend." He scoffed. "I don't think Harry has the same morals as you Sirius, he doesn't like someone just because they're beautiful."

"Well neither do I!" Sirius argued.

Remus' eye twitched, brow arched. "You had better not be talking about _our_ relationship."

"No! I'm not Moony, I swear!" Padfoot reassured before he could be smacked. "You're beautiful!"

"Do you know something that we don't?"

The werewolf turned toward James, who had a thoughtful look about him. His eyes searched Remus' face for any sign of betrayal.

"Of course I don't." Remus muttered, turning and glaring at the chessboard.

"I think you do." James rose from his perch on the couch. He moved toward the pair beside the fireplace.

Remus growled under his breath, James was too nosey for his own good. "Why don't we change the subject, it's a sore one after all, and we aren't going to get answers anytime soon." He replied cheerfully.

"Alright." Sirius went along with his boyfriend. "You were great in Quidditch the other day." He commented with slight enthusiasm.

James scoffed. "We got are arses handed to us on a silver platter. Harry distracted me when I was about to score." His eyes flashed. "Which brings me back to our previous topic. Moony, I know you're hiding something from me."

"_Dammit_ James!" Remus angrily pushed away from the chessboard, spilling pieces across the floor. "Just _drop_ it."

"I _knew_ it!" James spat. "You're hiding things from me too! I bet you know _exactly_ who Harry's with!"

Remus snarled and lunged into James' face. "You're right! I _do_ know who it is, and I'm not telling you a bloody thing!"

With an angry twist of his robes Remus shoved past James and headed up to bed.

"What's up his arse?" James huffed, falling into his seat once more.

"Full moon's coming." Sirius replied in a subdued voice, shadows flickering across his face from the sunlight trickling in through the high windows.

James groaned and twisted his hands through his hair as he looked toward the ceiling. "I'm a right arse, aren't I?" He muttered.

"Yep." Padfoot replied as he began to clean up the scattered pieces from their incomplete game. "You have to be careful around him at this time; he's almost as bad as a woman on her period."

_Ew_ James grimaced at the mental image of Remus waving around a pad and screaming.

"Damn him, how the hell did he find out before I did?" He asked instead. "Harry's _my_ little brother for Merlin's sake! Why didn't he come to me?"

Sirius chuckled a bit. "I wouldn't go to you either with the way you've been behaving."

"Whatever." He muttered with a wave of his hand. "How am I going to apologize to Moony?" James sighed.

"Well it _is_ a Hogsmeade weekend, today in fact." Sirius reminded him. "We _were_ going to go before you started bitching about Harry again."

"I do _not_ bitch." James' voice rose.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Padfoot shrugged. "You're acting like a little priss who's not getting his way, and that's the truth."

James shook his head, choosing not to answer, and stood. "Well, let's get Remus then, I'll buy him chocolate or something, he practically inhales that shit."

Sirius chuckled. "I know." He finished what he was doing and smiled. "I'll go get Moony."

There was a smirk. "Don't take too long." James teased.

"Never fear!" Sirius waved as he took two stairs at a time.

James sighed heavily and turned toward the empty common room. He didn't know what he was going to do.

_I need to know who it is. _

He didn't understand why he was so overprotective of Harry; he knew that the young wizard could take care of himself. Hell, he should be worrying about his _own_ love life! Or the fact that he currently didn't have one.

It would have been so much simpler if Harry liked girls, then James wouldn't have to worry about who he chose. Unless it was Narcissa, she was a bitch.

It wasn't that he didn't love Harry the way he was _now_ though, he would accept his brother no matter what he decided to do with his life.

He just wanted be part of that life.

And in his eyes, no one was good enough for his little brother, he was too innocent, he didn't know about the jerks waiting on sidelines to crush his heart.

_I'll be there to protect him._ He reassured himself.

But before he could protect Harry, he would need to find out who this guy Harry supposedly "liked" was.

"I have to find out who it is," James' eyes were hard. "And soon."

--- --- ---

"You are accompanying me to Hogsmeade."

Harry nearly inhaled the Sugar Quill he was nibbling on; his hand reflexively swiped out and managed to knock over his ink well across his assignment. He winced and coughed as Severus watched on in amusement.

"If I had known you became so excited at a simple command, I would have become domineering long ago." He smirked.

There was a wheezing breath and Harry rubbed his throat. "You're horrible the way you are." He glared through watering eyes. "And you're already domineering." He added as an afterthought.

Severus sneered. "Back to the point, I will expect you ready at noon by the latest in front of the Entrance Hall."

"You were serious about taking me on a date?" Harry squeaked.

"I never agreed to a _date_ Potter, I merely require more potions supplies and do not trust leaving you alone."

Harry grinned cheekily. "So you _do_ care about me." He teased.

"I said no such thing." Severus rumbled. "Now go prepare yourself, you have an hour."

"Thank you Severus!" Harry called as the older wizard left him once more to his thoughts.

_No matter what he says, it's a date. _

He turned back toward his ruined parchment and scowled as he attempted to swab up the worst of the ink.

Suddenly his thoughts caught up with his brain.

"Shit! What am I going to wear?"

* * *

AN: Surprisingly – or not – a lot of people commented on my little note about the Slytherin deal. Thank u for the ideas; I'll see where I can put them. Sheesh, and I thought u peoples wanted this to be a happy fic, some of u have angsty ideas,once I go into evil mode it's hard to get back. :_laughs__ evilly_:

-Red


	16. Not Nice

"_Please_ Severus? I want to get a Butterbeer; everyone's said that they're really good." Harry pleaded as he was dragged down the cobblestone path.

"I am not going to be seen with you in the Three Broomsticks." Severus growled. "Now lift your feet and _move_."

"This is my first time visiting Hogsmeade, I want to look around."

Severus scoffed and swept a dark sleeved arm around them. "Then take a good look while we walk." He sneered. "Because I'm not stopping."

"You're the worst boyfriend." Harry pouted.

"Deal with it." Severus spat. "I do not have to "date" you, or did you forget that I don't particularly _like_ men? I'm doing this out of pity."

_Pity?_ _That's a little harsh._

Harry stared at the ground for a moment as they walked in silence. He _had_ forgotten about that little fact though, and how he had pleaded for a chance to go out with the snarky wizard. He had been hoping that Severus would forget about his stupid prejudice against homosexuals and fall in love with him, though that was asking for _a lot_.

_There is a higher chance of the Giant Squid snogging me than Severus admitting he even likes me. _He scoffed silently.

A heavy sigh at his right caused Harry to glance up. Severus seemed to be biting back a growl as he glared down at him. "If it causes you that much emotional turmoil, we will go." He snapped.

Emerald eyes lit up happily. "Thank you!" He moved forward to hug the tense figure but Severus pushed him off. It didn't matter; he had felt bad about hurting Harry's feelings, which meant he cared a _little _at least, that was enough for Harry.

_This is going to be great._ Harry shivered slightly as a cool breeze lifted the edge of his scarf. He had decided to wear nice robes, a pair of tight fitting pants that he had shrunk himself, and an emerald button up that accented his eyes. Personally, he thought he looked good, he didn't exactly know what men preferred though, and Severus would be really hard to please.

But he felt good, sexy even, and that was all that mattered.

"I see you took your little pet outside for a walk Severus." A chill swept up Harry's spine.

They turned and regarded Lucius, who had a wide grin and a possessive arm around Narcissa.

"What do you want Malfoy." Severus demanded.

A flippant hand was waved. "We were making our way to the Three Broomsticks, isn't that right Narcissa dear?"

She smiled dutifully. "Yes Lucius."

"Then please, don't let us stop you." Harry growled as he stepped closer to Severus.

"Don't worry, you aren't." Narcissa spat, effectively destroying any false thought of docility.

Lucius ignored their bickering and strode forward, toward Harry. The dark haired boy tried to slip behind Severus but Lucius had already reached out and pulled him forward.

"Why do you fear me Harry?" His eyes flashed predatorily.

"I don't." Harry whispered harshly.

A light hand ran across Harry's head, stroking his hair gently. Lucius allowed his hand to trail down Harry's stiff back and then squeezed his ass.

"Get your hand off me!" Harry cried, swatting the offending limb away from his person.

"Mm, feisty." Lucius chuckled, slowly licking his lips as a wolf might in the presence of prey.

Harry glowered at the formal blonde. "You sick pervert." He spat. "Why don't you take your whore of a girlfriend and leave me the fuck alone."

Icy eyes narrowed. "Watch your mouth Potter, or I might have to put it to better use once more."

"What?" Harry demanded. "What the hell are you talking about?" He tried to step forward.

Severus held him back, finally making a move to prevent a fight. "Leave him Harry." He began to pull them away from the two elder Slytherins.

"What?" Harry protested. "That bastard is taunting me! I'm not going to sit back and take his shit!"

Narcissa's ruby lips parted into a sickeningly sweet smile and she waved at Harry as Severus proceeded to drag the fuming boy away before he could pick a fight.

"Calm down Harry, you're making a scene!" Severus snapped.

Their fellow classmates were indeed giving them odd looks as they passed, Harry kicking and screaming in his anger, and Severus avoiding the questioning gazes. The question on everyone's mind was why Harry Potter was associating with Severus Snape, his older brother's enemy.

"No! I don't care, let me go back and kick his sorry excuse of an arse!"

_Damn him, everyone's looking at us! It would be just like Potter to want everybody's attention on him while he throws his little fit._ Severus thought bitterly, trying to find an empty area so that he could knock some sense into the young Slytherin.

"Let me go!" Harry continued to scream and struggle.

Severus yanked hard on Harry's arm and finally pulled them to a stop, not bothering to hide the fact that they were fighting from their audience. "Why do you always have to challenge everything?" He hissed

There were tears in Harry's eyes as he looked up at his boyfriend in betrayal. They were angry tears; he was disgusted with the wizard before him and his lack of courage.

"Why didn't you do anything Severus?" Harry furiously wiped at his eyes. "You just stood there and let him touch me!"

Severus glanced away, refusing to answer.

"You're a coward." Harry spat. "I can't believe you let him push you around like that."

Angry eyes turned onto the younger. "What did you expect me to do?" Severus hissed. "If I had gone against him my reputation would have been ruined! Lucius controls our entire House!"

"Ruined?" Harry repeated incredulously. "What _reputation_ Severus? All everyone talks about is your Potions skill and greasy hair!"

_Crack! _

Silence swallowed the sharp cry of surprise.

Harry's mouth dropped open as his hand slowly inched toward his red cheek. He had _slapped_ him. _Snape_ had _slapped_ him!

"You bastard!" Harry screamed as he lunged forward.

Shouts were heard around them as Harry managed to land a solid punch to Severus' jaw.

"All you ever do is ridicule me, or put me down! Never! Not _once_ have you ever returned my feelings!" He screamed wildly. "Why do you have to be such a prick!"

"Because I loathe you!" Severus spat. "You and your filthy mudblood loving brother!"

"Don't talk about Lily that way!" Harry cried angrily. "She's a better person then you'll _ever_ be!"

"Shut up Potter!" Severus bellowed.

They had gained a crowd; their screams could be heard from down the street after all. Curious faces and hushed voices surrounded them, blocking them into their own little world.

"Why?" Harry panted, face flushed.

Severus growled and roughly pulled Harry against his chest. He tipped the boy's chin up and stared into his emerald orbs.

"I'm tired of hearing your voice."

With those words, Severus leaned forward and claimed Harry's lips. The shorter attempted to struggle away from the kiss, temper rising angrily as his arms remained pinned to his sides.

_How dare he try to silence me!_ Harry growled.

His muffled complaints only seemed to spur Severus on, the wizard's tapered fingers stroked a flushed cheek lazily as he moaned in return.

_Relax, just relax._ Severus continued to gently touch Harry.

Harry finally melted into the kiss, his fury abating as the talented hands soothed him into submission. His eyes fluttered shut as a warm tongue slipped into his mouth, rubbing and swirling.

Severus pulled away after a moment, eyes lidded and shining. "I'm sorry, Harry," he murmured with a tug of guilt, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

The ruffled head nodded as Harry rested on Severus' shoulder.

"Why do you try to make this so hard? Why can't you just _pretend_ to like me?" Harry whispered in return.

"Harry, I – "

"What the hell is going on here?" A cool voice growled.

For the second time that day, Harry felt chills run up the length of his spine. His mind was beginning to shut down in fear as he turned.

"James."

His brother stood before them, the crowd of students filtering away and allowing him through.

"I'll ask again," he murmured, "what the _hell_ is going on?"

"Please James, just calm down, I can explain." Harry tried to ward him off with his outstretched hand.

"Explain? There's nothing to explain Harry." James' eyes lit onto Severus. "He's obviously hexed you and put you under his control."

"What? No!" Harry shook his head wildly. "You've got it all wrong, Severus is my boyfriend."

There was silence between them, thick and tense. James shook his head as he shot a disbelieving look.

"Do you know how farfetched that sounds?"

"So does your theory of me being under his control!" Harry retorted, stepping in front of Severus in a show of bravery.

"It's more believable then you willingly being with the bastard." James growled.

"He's no longer "under my control" as you so eloquently put it." Severus chose that moment to speak up.

"What!"

Harry slowly turned around, a hurt expression bleeding across his face. "What are you talking about Severus?" He frowned.

"Yes Severus, what _are_ you talking about?" Lucius appeared in the crowd, finally have caught up with the pair. Narcissa giggled at his side, sending Harry a snide grin.

Severus growled as he glared at the blonde. "It's nothing." He thought better of letting out such information.

James stepped forward with a menacing growl. "You'd better tell me what the hell is going on here." His wand waved warningly. "Or you might just find yourself with a face full of boils."

"Stay away from me!" Severus spat before darting into the crowd.

"Severus, no!" Harry yelled after him.

The elder Potter shot forward before Harry could move any further. "Moony, Padfoot, keep Harry out of this." James called over his shoulder as he took chase.

"We're on it Prongs!" Sirius suddenly popped up at Harry's side and with the help of his reluctant-looking boyfriend, they grabbed the Slytherin's arms.

"Snape! You bloody bastard, get your arse out here!" James roared as they ran around a corner and straight into a throng of shoppers.

_Damn Potter._ Severus glowered as he stayed low. _Stupid Harry, I should have never agreed to this._

"You'd better show your ugly beak before I hex the entire crowd!" Gasps were heard and everyone scattered in fear.

_Imbeciles! That's his plan; he's trying to flush me out!_

Severus struggled toward a small alleyway between two shops. The shadows would provide enough cover for now.

"_Snape_!" Sparks shot from James' wand. "I'll kill you! I swear I will!"

"Where'd he go?" Sirius ran up beside his leader.

"He ran off, he's probably hiding like the nasty Slytherin he is. Where's Harry?"

"I left him with Remus." Sirius nodded over his shoulder.

Severus relaxed; they didn't know where he was. _Now if I can just get back to Hogwarts without them seeing me – _

A sharp scream suddenly pierced through his body, forcing him to glance behind him. "Fucking Potter!" He hissed.

A young Slytherin girl had fallen and the Marauders, being the brutes that they were, had their wands pointed at her.

"Where is he you worthless Slytherin?" Sirius spat. "We know you're protecting him, tell us!"

The girl sobbed in fear, her wand lost within her robes. "I don't know!"

"She's lying!" James snarled. "Show her what we do to liars Padfoot."

Sirius pulled out his wand and stabbed it in her direction.

"Stop it you bastards!" Severus roared, throwing himself from his hiding. The girl was in Slytherin, and all good little snakes protected their own. "Get away from her."

James and Sirius turned at his voice, their wands pointed toward him now. "Very foolish of you Snape, I never thought you would have it in you to stand up for someone else." James said.

Severus winced, remembering the incident with Harry. "Leave her alone Potter, this is between you and me."

"You're right." James glared. "_Petrificus_ _Totalus_!" 

The Slytherin stiffened as the bolt of light surrounded him; James continued without pause with a powerful stinging hex, followed by the numerous, painful hexes he could knew. Sirius laughed cruelly and joined in on the beating.

Gasps and shouts broke out as Severus twitched and writhed. Harry's scream seemed to be the loudest of all and Severus vaguely wondered when the boy had arrived as he attacked his older brother with a viciousness that had not been seen before.

_He's too nosey for his own good anyway._ He thought groggily, vaguely seeing the worried face of Remus. _I see Lupin's turned rouge; Potter won't appreciate Harry witnessing this little attack. At least there's one Gryffindor with some sense. _

"Severus!" Harry cried again, pushing James out of his way and falling beside his boyfriend.

"_Harry_, get away from him!" James tried to grab his sleeve, in the process, loosing his focus and turning away his wand.

_Fuck, this is going to hurt._ Severus braced his throbbing muscles.

The Slytherin finally fell to the ground as James unwillingly ended his torture; he winced and held onto his side in pain. Wheezing, he squinted up at his enemies and watched as James roughly pulled Harry to his feet by the back of his shirt.

"Come on, Sirius grab Harry, this slimy git has wasted enough our time." James sneered down at him.

"No! Let me go!" Harry screamed as he was restrained by Sirius. "Let me go you stupid Gryffindor! Severus!"

The last thing Severus saw before blacking out was Harry being dragged away by James and his friends.

----------

AN: Grr, I really didn't feel this chap, it didn't flow as easily as the others did. But thank u reviewers! U guys r seriously the inspiration that keeps me typing! Oh, and that sharp stick Zoomi keeps poking me with is inspiration too. But you guys r the main source!

-Red


	17. What!

AN: Thank u for being my beta Zoomi! I heart u! Er…just a little though, lol.

* * *

Harry was roughly dragged all the way back to Gryffindor Tower, kicking and screaming the entire way. The Marauders gave the password and shoved their Slytherin prisoner into the common room, the portrait door swinging on its hinges and slamming behind them.

It wasn't surprising when a few – if not all – occupants in the room turned to look at the fuming James and Sirius dragging Harry toward the couches. Most had been witnesses to the argument at Hogsmeade and wanted to see how it would end.

"Mind your business!" James snapped at their curious faces.

A silencing charm was erected around their small area and James dragged Harry down onto a couch.

"_Sit_ and _explain_." He growled.

"What's there to explain?" Sirius scoffed. "He's buggering Snape."

"Not _now_ Padfoot." James cut him off.

Remus took hold of his boyfriend and pulled him onto the cushion beside him. They remained silent for the moment and served as witnesses to the Potters' exchange.

"Why was Snape touching you like that?" The elder Potter demanded.

Harry crossed his arms and looked away, glaring a hole into the carpet stubbornly.

"_Harry_." James' patience was running thin.

"Isn't it obvious?" Harry glowered. "He's my _boyfriend_. You're a fucking bastard for what you did to him James, you'll pay for it, I _swear_ you'll pay for it."

James stiffened, his face flaming in anger.

"Boyfriend…" He hissed.

"Yes, _boyfriend_. As in snogging, groping and shagging together, that's what boyfriends do." Harry sneered.

It was the final straw and James finally snapped, his temper rising and overflowing in vicious waves.

He angrily stood. "No! I won't have my little brother going out with that _Slytherin_." He spat.

"I'm in Slytherin too James!" Harry yelled back, just as angry. "You can't stop me from being with my own House!"

"But not with Snivellus." Sirius put in. "The greasy git is probably using you Harry."

Harry flushed and looked away.

"You see!" Sirius cried. "He is! Why the bastard, I'll kick his lily white arse if he so much as – "

"Lily!" James spoke up.

"What about Evans?" Sirius frowned. "I thought we were on about Snape."

"No, that's it; Harry will go out with _Lily_!"

Harry scowled. "I don't _like_ Lily. You can't force me to go out with her."

James moved forward and gripped Harry's upper arm, wrenching him to his feet. "You're going to go with Lily, even if it kills you." He muttered warningly. "And if I'm the one to do the deed then so be it."

Remus finally spoke up angrily. "You can't _force_ him to like someone James; Severus is the one he wants." He glared at the elder Potter. "Why can't you see that?"

"You're defending Snape?" James demanded, tightening his grip on his brother.

"No, I'm defending Harry and his choice." Remus shook his head helplessly. "Can't you see that they were happy together?"

"You knew about them, _didn't_ you?" James glowered darkly.

Remus lifted his head defiantly. "Yes."

He was glared at for a moment. "I'll deal with you later." James swiftly turned around with a betrayed voice.

Harry struggled futilely as James dragged him away from the couches and silencing charm, as soon as they cleared through the spell Harry began screaming.

"Let me go you bloody wanker!" He yelled, causing heads to turn. "I fucking hate you!"

He was ignored and dragged toward the group of studying students where Lily was sitting.

"Oi, Evans!" Sirius called in warning as the spell faded.

The redhead glanced up from her homework and glared as she realized who had called her. "What do you want Black." Her voice was annoyed; she had been absorbed in her essay and didn't appreciate being interrupted.

James stepped into her line of vision, pushing Harry before him. "Harry has something he wants to ask you." His voice was tight.

The scowl on the girl's face immediately melted into a curious smile. "Harry?"

"No." He mumbled, trying to tug his arm away from his brother. "I'm not going to say anything." His cheeks were flushed from his struggling.

James growled and shook his arm a bit roughly. "Ask her." He demanded.

"I don't want to!" Harry winced.

By now everyone in the common room was looking in their direction and Harry blushed even more so, he couldn't believe this was happening to him.

_I don't want Lily, not in that way_. He closed his eyes and turned his head away. _I want Severus, why did I let James take me away from him? He could be seriously hurt for all I know._

"Harry told me that he likes you." James said coolly, Harry's eyes snapped open in horror. "He wanted to ask you out but he was afraid you would turn him down."

Lily smiled gently. "Is that true Harry?"

Harry whimpered as his skin was pinched and twisted under James' hands. He forced himself to nod, a pained expression painted across his face.

"Well that's _sweet_!" She gushed, standing and pulling Harry into a quick hug.

_Please no._ Harry whimpered as he allowed the contact.

"Harry, can I talk to you in private?" She asked with a smile. "I want to talk more about this, but with less of a crowd." She gestured toward their audience.

Harry glanced toward James, a betrayed look in his eyes as he silently asked for permission. The Gryffindor nodded his acceptance and Harry turned back to Lily with a short nod.

"Good, let's go up to my dorm." She slipped her hand in Harry's and pulled him after her.

He felt numb; he couldn't believe James would do something like this to him. _Why_ would he do this? Didn't he want him to be happy?

_He just doesn't want me to be with Severus. He doesn't care if I'm happy or not, just as long as his image isn't ruined._

As Harry finally looked up, he realized they were in the girl's dorm. He was surprised that the stairs had allowed it, but then again, Lily was always talented with Charms, so she had probably taken care of it. She sat him on a bed in the far corner and locked the door behind them with a quick swish of her wand.

"Now tell me what's going on." She whispered gently.

Harry glanced up sharply. "What?" He felt a shimmer of hope lighting up his darkened thoughts.

"I know that idiot brother of yours is forcing you into this." She pointed between them. "I know there's someone you like Harry, might even love."

The tears came then; he was so tired of fighting with his true emotions and hiding them from everyone. Lily quickly pulled him against her, and held him tightly, soothingly.

"It's not fair." Harry cried softly, burying his face in Lily's neck. "I don't want to be with a _girl_."

"Who is it that you love Harry?" She whispered against his hair.

He sniffed. "S-severus." His eyes began to water even more.

A look of understanding crossed the witch's face. "Oh, you poor thing." She murmured. "James is such a prat for doing this to you." Her voice became harsh.

Harry nodded slightly, keeping his face hidden in her shirt.

"What do you want to do about this? It's clear that you can't be with me, and truthfully it would be wrong to be with the little brother of the person _I_ love."

"I don't want to break up with Severus." Harry whimpered. "And I'm worried James killed him."

"What?" Lily asked sharply.

Harry sniffed and nodded his head. "They hurt him really bad when we were at Hogsmeade earlier, they just left him there on the ground and I didn't get to see if he was alright." His eyes narrowed. "Sirius grabbed me and forced me back to Hogwarts, and then they brought me here."

"Remus allowed this to happen?" She demanded. "I thought he was the responsible one."

"He tried to help me, as much as possible without angering James that is." Harry sighed. "And I understand, James is his best friend, he wouldn't want to get in any kind of fight with the arrogant prick. I don't know what you see in him Lily, what James did was just wrong."

Lily nodded. "I'm starting to wonder myself." She frowned. "Harry, may I ask a more personal question?"

He shrugged listlessly. "Sure."

"Why Snape?"

The Slytherin chuckled softly. "It was because of the stupidest reason." He smiled wistfully. "I ran into him, and we accidentally kissed."

Emerald eyes blinked in surprise. "That's it?" She asked doubtfully. "You based a relationship on an accidental kiss?"

"Not exactly. I thought about it, and I couldn't _stop_ thinking about it or Severus." Harry murmured thoughtfully. "I came to Remus for help, because before that point, I hadn't realized I was gay."

"It's because he stole your first kiss Harry, of _course_ you're going to keep thinking about the person who kissed you, it doesn't mean you like them." She retorted reasonably.

Harry sighed and nodded. "I know, but I really _do_ like him. I had to fight to get him to go out with me, but it was worth it."

Lily seemed uncertain but nodded anyway, it would do no good to work Harry up, he had enough on his plate already. "So what do you want to do about this little plan of James'?"

There was a hesitant shrug. "I need to find out about Severus first and go from there. I guess we can _pretend_ to go out, just for looks of course, Severus and I will have to be more discreet though."

"I still don't understand why James is so against your relationship. So Severus might have a few misguided views, that doesn't make him a horrible guy, I've tried to tell your brother that so many times but he never listens." Lily huffed.

Harry shook his head. "I don't pretend to understand my brother; he's got a twisted view of things." He scoffed. "I'm surprised he hasn't kicked _my_ arse, he _hates_ anything Slytherin, it's no surprise that he doesn't like Severus."

"I'll help you all I can Harry, I'm rooting for you to pull through all this crap and be happy despite the odds against you." Lily smiled.

"Thanks Lily." He murmured.

"You weren't put in Slytherin for nothing; snakes are known to survive even the harshest of conditions, you'll make it Harry." Lily ruffled his hair and stood. "Now let's see if we can fool all those people out there."

* * *

AN: Zoomi went to Homecoming :_dances_: and she had so much fun. Lol, at least that's what I heard. Harry's a little prissy girl! Bwahaha! I'll try to fix it, really I will.

-Red


	18. I'll Show You

_I'm beginning to feel guilty._ Brooding orbs narrowed, looking past the words in his textbook. _What's wrong with me?_

It had been a day since Severus had been "put in his place" by the idiotic Gryffindors. A day and already the rumors were beginning to spread throughout the school like fire, it didn't help that he had hidden away from prying eyes and skived off all of his classes. In fact it only seemed to lend fuel to the gossiping dunderheads, such extravagant stories were being told in his absence.

The most farfetched of them all had to be the juicy rumor that Harry Potter and Lily Evans were now a happy couple.

It was impossible to believe, James would never allow it for starters, and_ Severus_ would never allow it, so no worrying there.

The most bothersome and embarrassing rumor was that Severus and Harry had been seen snogging at Hogsmeade. It was true of course, but still by far the worst gossip drifting about the halls in Severus' opinion.

To make matters worse, he hadn't seen his "boyfriend" since the painful incident with his brother. Truthfully, Severus was a bit timid to venture out of the safety of the Slytherin common room, who _knew_ what fiendish prankster was lurking about the dungeons.

He'd had some type of revenge on the Gryffindors though, when he had been found at Hogsmeade by Professor McGonagall, the elder witch had been fuming at her students. Detention for both Black and Potter had been given since they were the only ones to actually cast a spell against him, and they were due to serve it with Filch for two weeks straight.

_Serves them right._ Severus glanced toward a group of studying third years. They undoubtedly shared classes with Harry; Severus wondered what they would say about the shy Slytherin given the chance.

He then realized who he was thinking about and grimaced in disgust, he was beginning to have _feelings_ toward the younger wizard. How that had happened he wouldn't be able to say, but it would have to be dealt with accordingly.

_Damn it all, I don't even like boys. _He shifted deeper into the cushions of the couch and glared forward. He was a bit confused when it came to Harry, in the beginning of this ruse he had been out for revenge. The Polyjuiced Lily hadn't worked as well as he had hoped and the two weeks of detention wasn't exactly his idea of revenge.

He had spent time with Harry, he had gotten to know the young wizard and he couldn't say that he _liked_ everything about him, but there was something in that emerald gaze that called to Severus. It didn't hurt that Harry's feelings ran deeper then Severus' own, it made him feel wanted whenever the younger teen looked up at him, it made him feel loved.

Perhaps if he could find those aspects in a _girl_, then he wouldn't need to worry about Harry or his confused emotions.

_What are the chances that I'll meet someone like Harry, it's not as though – _

"Excuse me?" A timid voice whispered.

Severus turned as his thoughts were broken and eyed the young witch standing before him.

She was pretty, as he allowed his eyes to roam across her features. Her peach shaped face was slightly pale against hair raven enough to have been stolen from the bird itself. Her figure was thin, delicate almost.

"Hello." She murmured softly once she had caught his attention, her dark eyes crinkling with her bright smile.

Green eyes, just like Harry and Lily.

Severus nodded in greeting, he didn't usually talk to presumptuous strangers who came up to him, but the petite Asian witch was in his House, she deserved a chance. Her looks didn't hurt either.

"I haven't seen you before." He regarded her with a tilt of his head. "Are you a transfer student?"

The young witch blushed prettily. "Yes." She clasped her hands nervously. "I just wanted to thank you for the other day."

He frowned slightly. "What other day?"

"When those nasty Gryffindors tried to hex me, you saved me." She replied happily. "Thank you so much." She bowed her head politely.

_Potter and his crew?__ Merlin, they were trying to hex me, what is this girl on about?_

"What is your name?" Severus asked, setting his book to the side, having long forgotten it anyway.

She grinned. "Mia."

"Hm, it suits you." He acknowledged. "My name is Severus if you did not know."

"Of course I know who you are!" She gushed. "You're the best Potions student beside that mudblood Evans. I found that out my first day, you're _amazing_."

A dark brow was raised in silent question. "You don't like Lily Evans?" Severus managed to keep his voice calm despite the clashing thoughts in his head.

Mia grimaced. "She's going out with a Slytherin, it's disgusting. I can't believe the bloke going out with her; he must have some nerve to go against his own House."

Severus froze, heart plummeting in his chest. "Who is it?" He contained the growl rising in his throat.

"Harry Potter I believe." Mia cocked her head with a short nod. "Yes, I'm pretty sure that's his name. He's the one with a brother in Gryffindor isn't he?"

"Yes." Severus murmured, eyes loosing their focus in shock. Harry was dating Lily? How in the hell did _that_ happen? No, it couldn't be true; Harry wouldn't betray him like that, it couldn't be more then a rumor.

_Wait, why do I care? This solves my problem; if he's dating Lily then he won't bother me anymore._ A strange tightening in his chest caused him to question his logic but he pushed it aside, he didn't care if Harry left him, there was nothing there to begin with. _I'm just angry that he chose Lily, she was mine. Yes, that's it._

"Severus?" Mia's worried voice distracted him again. "Are you alright?"

He shook his head, pulling himself away from such thoughts. "I'm fine." He muttered, waving his long fingered hands.

Mia smiled. "That's good, because I wanted to ask you a question."

Severus merely stared at her, waiting for her to ask whatever was on her mind; she obviously thought the question was worth his time.

Suddenly she became nervous again and fidgeted in place. "I was wondering if you would…if you would go out with me." She rushed, closing her eyes tightly.

…

"_What_?" He blinked in surprise.

"I know you're older then me and probably have a million other witches asking you to date them, but I like you, you're so brave and strong." She whimpered. "Please, just give me one chance, I'll do anything."

Anything he was about to say died on his lips as her words echoed in his mind and awakened a past memory. Harry had asked the same thing, Harry who had betrayed him and stole Lily.

A leering smile spread its way across his thin lips. "Of course I will." He murmured darkly.

Mia's eyes lit up happily. "_Really_? Thank you so much, I promise you won't regret this!"

Severus inclined his head with a disarming smile. "How can I with a beauty such as you?" He laid his praise on thick. "I assure you, I will not regret any of my actions."

_This will teach Harry to go behind my back._ He watched bemusedly as the young witch ran off toward the girl's dorm, probably to write in her diary or something of the sort.

_He'll regret ever betraying me._

* * *

AN: Sorry for the long wait, Zoomi (my beta) abandoned me. Lol, she's been busy with life :_scoffs_: who has one of those these days? Mm, but u guys r spoiled with quick updates, so this must suck. Sorry, I'll try harder next time. I'm working on the next chap as we speak…er, read.

-Red


	19. You've Got To Be Kidding

AN: Zoomi's been getting on me for updates, lol, she's mad that I blamed her for the lack of updates in the last chap. Grr, we're both lazy.

* * *

"Looks like Snape's hooked up with someone." Sirius murmured over his porridge. "I'm surprised anyone would give him a second glance, that girl must be _blind_ not to see the ugly git's humongous nose."

James scoffed through a mouthful of toast. "That was fast, what's it been, three _days_ since he broke it off with Harry? Seems he's back on the market and has moved on."

"What market was _Snivellus_ ever a part of?" Sirius snorted.

The two Gryffindors laughed amongst themselves, not noticing the Slytherin beside them or how pale Harry turned.

The ruffled head had shot up at Sirius' first words, now Harry's eyes hurriedly ran across the blurs of students until he reached Severus. His eyes widened first in shock, then in anger as he spied the girl hanging off his boyfriend's arm.

_Who the hell does she think she is?_ He growled lowly.

He desperately wished he had sat with his own table that morning, Severus had been absent yesterday and this morning Harry had decided to be a good "boyfriend" and walk with Lily to the Great Hall. Now he was regretting his decision.

_That fucking slut!_ He fumed. He knew exactly who she was too, the transfer student from America; she was in third year along with him. How _dare_ she try to steal Severus away from him!

Lily laid a calming hand on his thigh under the table as he made a move to stand. Harry turned with a curse on his lips, only to be glared at as Lily shook her head.

"You know as well as I do that you can't draw attention to yourself." She nodded toward James. "Find a way to get Severus out of here; I'll distract your brother."

Harry smiled in relief. "Thanks." He whispered, glancing toward his table once more.

Mia was watching him and he flinched in slight surprise. What the hell was her problem? He shook his head and glanced to her left, catching the dark eyes of Severus.

_Please, please understand and follow me!_

There was no acknowledgement but Harry rose from his seat. James immediately looked up at his movement.

"Where're you going?" He shot a quick glare toward the Slytherins.

Harry laughed easily. "I need to get my stuff before I head to class." He replied with a smile.

Sirius waved his hand dismissively. "Let the bloke go, with Lily as a girlfriend there's no way he'll go back to Snape."

James chuckled, a pained light in his eye. "That's very true Padfoot."

Lily smiled beside Harry. "Why thank you Sirius. You flatter me, really." Her voice held sarcasm.

"Well I'm off." Harry waved.

"Later mini James." Sirius turned back to eating.

Peter and Remus nodded while James remained silent and brooding.

_So far so good._ Harry mentally cheered. He pushed through the huge doors and into the hallway. _Now for the final piece._

He quickly scanned his surroundings and squeezed himself behind a pillar beside the doors, leaving him ample room to spy.

His heart was pounding expectantly and he nearly shot out of his hiding as the sure and steady figure of his boyfriend suddenly appeared.

"Severus." Harry murmured, trying to remain discreet and hidden.

The Slytherin turned and upon seeing Harry, sneered with disgust. "Potter." He scoffed. "What do you want?"

Harry winced. "Please Severus, can we talk? I need to explain something." He pleaded.

"What is there to discuss, you clearly enjoy spending time with your _girlfriend_, _Evans_." He didn't mean for his voice to sound hurt. "Forget it Potter, you've completed your experiment with boys, go on and be normal like the rest of us."

"She's _not_ my girlfriend." Harry snapped under his breath as a group of girls walked by.

Severus turned and watched the group of witches that had passed. "Of course she isn't." He replied, returning his icy gaze onto Harry as they entered the Great Hall. "Half the school just decided to start a rumor about Harry Potter and Lily Evans going steady!"

"I know it looks bad." Harry attempted to explain. "But Severus, you have to understand, none of it's real."

He was on the receiving end of an angry glare. "Let me explain something to you Harry." He whispered dangerously. "I was hexed by your brother and his brute friend, I was lucky I didn't have to spend a week in the infirmary. _Then_ I hear rumors of my supposed _boyfriend_ dating a _girl_. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"I'm sorry!" The green eyed boy cried. "James forced me on Lily, literally! It's not like I have a choice in the matter, and anyway, there's no emotional attachment between us."

"It doesn't change the fact that you're going steady with someone behind my back."

"What about you!" Harry retorted. "I saw that Slytherin girl hanging all over you, it's disgusting!"

Severus lifted his nose. "I don't have to explain myself. _You_ are the one who began this little war."

"I already told you, it's just for show! I don't like Lily that way!" Harry fisted his hair in frustration. "It's only to keep James happy."

"Well _I'm_ not happy, and I should be your top priority."

Harry nodded his head weakly. "I know, and I'm sorry for hurting you."

"Whatever." Severus schooled his features and crossed his arms. _Why do I care so much? Why do I feel relieved that he doesn't care for Lily?_

A hesitant cough interrupted his musing. "Will you kiss me?" Harry murmured.

"What?" A strange jolt went up his spine in expectance.

"Please Severus? Kiss me?"

A rough growl was his only reply as a pair of desperate lips crashed against his own. Severus pushed their bodies tighter against the wall as he ravaged the pliant mouth beneath him. The three days apart had been too much, and this felt so right.

Cool hands raced across Harry's flushed skin as his robes were pushed to the side and his shirt raised. Severus touched him everywhere, memorizing his body, devouring him with his hands.

Harry moaned and leaned his head against the wall, he was in heaven. Never before had Severus touched him like this. _It's perfect._

That was when the second shoe dropped.

"Why don't we end this little ruse Harry?" Severus breathed, leaning in close, until his nose was pressed against Harry's own.

Harry's eyes fluttered. "What?" The close proximity between the two was causing him to become lightheaded.

A strange light lit within Severus' lidded orbs. "I've gotten what I want, and you had the chance to date Severus Snape, your crush." His hands squeezed Harry's hips.

Harry stiffened. "What are you trying to say?" He began to pull away from the taller boy.

Severus straightened also, smoothing out his robes as he looked down at Harry. "As of this moment, I want nothing more to do with you."

In that moment Harry's mind was wiped blank as he stared at the wizard he had called his boyfriend for a total of, what, five days? Already so much had happened between them and now Severus was _ending_ it?

"You're breaking up with me." He repeated flatly.

"Yes, that seems to sum it up nicely." Severus looked away from the crumbling face, trying to keep himself stoical and cold.

"You're _breaking up_ with me?" Harry's voice cracked, his hands fisting at his sides.

"Really Potter, I don't have time for your – "

"That bitch!"

Severus blinked in surprise. "What?"

Harry ignored him and pushed away from the wall, hardly caring if anyone saw him talking to his now ex-boyfriend. He roughly stabbed a finger against Severus' chest. "You just wait; I'll take care of that stupid slut." He hissed.

"Harry." Severus called as the boy stepped past him and stormed off.

_Damn him, he's going to cause more problems then I need. _

--- --- ---

"Mia, may I have a _word_ with you?" Harry smiled tensely.

The young girl turned away from her group of friends with a confused frown on her lips. Her eyes widened slightly as Harry came into her line of sight and she nodded distractedly.

Harry led them away from prying eyes and ears, glaring at the slightly shorter witch.

"Why did you do it?" He demanded coolly, crossing his arms over his torso.

She smiled, narrowing similar eyes. "Because you don't deserve him." She replied, any false innocence gone.

Harry froze; she wasn't even _trying_ to act like she didn't know what he was asking. The little bitch knew what she was doing! Harry growled and managed to hold back his readied fist.

"You'd better watch your back Miyake." Harry spat her surname with deep loathing. "Severus is _mine_ I'll get him back, you just wait."

Mia smiled. "Severus won't want you, you're _nothing_ to him." Her features turned vicious. "You're nothing but a desperate little _boy_."

The silence following her harshly spoken words was broken by the soft chirping of birds and the chattering of young witches and wizards walking to lunch.

_No, Severus cares about me, he won't leave me._

Harry angrily raised his wand with a hiss. "You fucking – "

"Harry!"

Both Slytherins turned toward the desperate voice. James frowned as he came running up with Remus and Sirius flanking him.

"Harry what are you doing?" Sirius demanded.

"Stay out of this!" Harry waved him off. "You've done enough already!"

The tawny haired Marauder stepped forward. "Harry, please calm down." Remus pleaded.

The young wizard's eyes flamed. "Remus, stay out of this, it has nothing to do with you." He turned back toward Mia. "I'll take care of my business."

The Slytherin witch was beginning to look worried as the older Gryffindors stopped and observed her warily. "What's wrong Potter? You need you older brother to protect you against a girl?" She taunted.

"They're not in this." Harry said flatly, lifting his wand once more with a flick. "I'll kick your arse myself."

Mia opened her mouth to argue but Harry wasn't able to hear the rest of her comment over the shout behind him.

"_Stupefy_!"

Harry pitched forward, the taunting laughter of his rival echoing in his ears as he swore his revenge.

* * *

AN: My beta likes Mia, but of _course_, she's her idea. Mm, but yur lucky Zoomi wrote a note on my hand to update, plus I didn't have to work. Grr, I need to work on the next chap now. Thank u for your reviews!

-Red


	20. Older Brother

"Did you see how fast Snape took him out with that Stupefy?" A fierce whisper demanded.

"Yes, and if Moony didn't hold me back, I would have hexed him." James muttered reproachfully. "Bloody arse deserved it too; _no one _hurts my little brother."

"Snape was only trying to protect the girl from being attacked." The logical voice of Remus retorted. "I doubt that he meant to hit Harry that hard."

Sirius snorted. "Come off it Remus, you can't tell me that you believe yourself. Snape hit Harry and he hit him hard." There was the sound of shifting material. "He practically flew to that girl's side to make sure _she_ was alright."

Remus remained silent and James spoke up again. "I know that Harry likes the bloke, I don't know _why_, but if it were any other person I wouldn't mind so much. Snape though, he has too much animosity towards _us_, and I'm afraid that it'll spill onto Harry."

"You think he's using Harry to get back at all of the Marauders." Remus murmured.

"I _know_ he is, that's why I stepped in, I won't have Harry hurt." James said firmly.

_Stepped in?_ Harry remained still. _What the hell is that supposed to mean? Does he mean the situation with Lily?_

"You won't be able to keep him locked up forever Prongs." Padfoot said in a strangely serious tone. "He needs to grow free of your control."

James made a disgusted sound deep in his throat. "I know that."

"Then _stop_ interfering."

"He's my brother, what do you expect me to do? Do you want me to abandon him?" James asked desperately.

"Sirius isn't suggesting anything that extreme." Remus spoke up. "Just give him some space James; you're not going to be able to be there for him every time he has a problem."

"Like hell I won't." He snapped.

"Come on Prongs, let's not talk about this right now, we should be thinking about Harry." Sirius huffed in irritation.

Remus' voice shot in the "sleeping" boy's direction as he turned toward Harry, a frown in his tone. "Perhaps we should have taken him to Madam Pomfrey. Surely he should have woken up by now."

"You're right." James' voice sounded worried as he rose.

Harry mentally frowned; he didn't need his brother's concern, James only seemed worried about not being able to control him. The only thing _Harry_ was worried about was getting Severus away from that conniving Slytherin witch.

_I suppose I should "wake up" now though. _He slowly opened his eyes and blurrily looked around the room, someone had taken his glasses. _Why do I always end up in the Gryffindor common room_?

The Marauders were once again circled around him on the other couches, their heated discussion drifting toward him and surrounding his overactive brain.

_It's James' fault, it's always his fault. He probably knows about Mia, he probably "stepped in" and sent her after Severus!_

"How dare you." He growled, drawing their attention onto his rising form. He glared at James through lidded eyes, slightly squinting in an attempt to see clearly.

"Harry." The elder Potter straightened from his slump and smiled in relief.

"Where are my glasses?" He demanded. "_Accio_ glasses!" He snapped when they continued to stare at him blankly.

"Hey mate, are you feeling alright?" Sirius chuckled slightly. "You've been out for a couple hours."

Harry sneered. "Perfectly fine." He snapped. "I don't expect you to understand or care though. Let the Gryffindors celebrate the great Harry Potter's defeat!" He spat.

"Bloody hell Potter, did you damage your head when you fell?" Sirius demanded. "You're acting like a right prat."

An angry finger was shoved in James' direction. "It's because of him!" He roared, not caring if anyone looked on, they had witnessed his little fits before, one more wouldn't hurt.

James blinked in surprise. "Me? What the hell did I do?"

"You took Severus away from me!" His face was red with his fury.

Remus and Sirius looked at each other worriedly; the younger wizard seemed to be having these breakdowns more often as of late.

"How could you possibly fall for a great greasy git like _that_!" James yelled back, face just as red. "Lily is perfect, why don't you fall in love with _her_!"

Harry laughed brokenly. "Merlin you are so blind James." He shook his head viciously. "If you can't see what's in front of you then I won't be the one to show you."

"Why don't you explain things to me then?" The Gryffindor held out his hands.

"Because you don't understand me!" Harry yelled angrily. "No one does, and they never will!"

"Then talk to me Harry, I'm here for you, I'll _listen_." James pleaded.

Harry sneered. "Don't pretend that you care." He scoffed. "I can see right through your act."

James stared in shock. "Act? Harry, what are you talking about? I'm your older brother for fuck's sake!"

"And that is exactly _why_ I don't want to talk to you!" Harry jabbed an angry finger in his direction. "All you care about is yourself; you just don't want people to think I'm a poof!"

"That's not true!" James cried.

"It is!" Harry's eyes flashed. "That's why you took Severus away from me, and that's why you sent that whore after him to steal him." He growled to himself.

"What?" His brother frowned.

Harry snapped out of his thoughts. "Leave me alone! I don't want to talk to you!" He stood and angrily strode toward the portrait.

"Harry." James tried to grab onto his arm as he retreated.

"Don't touch me!" Harry screamed angrily, plowing into the Gryffindor with his uncontrollable power.

There was a scream from across the room as James flew away from Harry and knocked into a table, sending papers and inkwells to the floor as the solid wood flipped onto its side.

The Slytherin's eyes widened in terror at what he had done, caught in shock at the power of his rage. Sirius hurriedly stood, moving to grab Harry in his moment of pause. The boy turned frightened eyes onto the Marauder and came back to his senses with a quick sneer as he fled the room.

"That'll teach you to stay out of my business James!" He called as the portrait slammed behind him.

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AN: I know, I know, sucky way to end the chap. Lots of luv though. Thank u once more Zoomi for betaing, go and get some sleep now!

-Red


	21. Leave Me Alone!

chocolatedemon: Hm, that's weird, I don't think it's because u have me on alert twice though. 'Cus that happens to me with another fic I'm reading, I always get 2 alerts, but it's usually the top one that works.

**AN: Forever and a day! Sorry about the lack of updates, I've had a lot of crap due for school, and I always wait last minute to do stuff, so I haven't had time to write!**

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_Bloody Gryffindors._ Harry scowled as he glared at a crawling spider next to his head. _Like I have nothing better to do then sit here._

He had roamed the darkening halls, waiting until it was time for dinner, he didn't have a death wish after all. He knew that the Marauders would come after him if he showed his face before he was seated in a crowd of witnesses.

_Gryffindors, loyal to the core, it's sickening. _He shook his head.

Harry grimaced as he pulled a cobweb from his matted hair, he could have been hiding out in the comforts of his dorm, but an abandoned classroom just had a more secretive feel to it and added to the excitement of hiding.

Plus he didn't want to run into Snape. He glowered at his dusty footprints; running into Miyake wouldn't do either.

He would show both of them, Mia especially. He wasn't someone to be messed with, he could hold his own.

"They think they can walk all over me." He growled. "Well I'm tired of it, no more." His fist pounded the floor as a puff of dust surrounded him.

The lone Slytherin stood and brushed away the dirt he had collected on his robes.

"I think it's time that I step into the role of a true _Slytherin_."

--- --- ---

The annoying clink of silverware echoed through the Great Hall as dinner was eaten, and in some cases inhaled. Harry sat brooding, staring at his plate while he remained deep in thought.

Now that he was finally thinking like a Slytherin, he found that he wanted revenge on a number of people. They were lucky he had been distracted by his little crush mid-way through the year, or else Hogwarts would have suffered from the Marauders _and_ Harry Potter.

But that didn't matter anymore, Harry was back and he was ready to prank away the rest of the year.

"Hey Potter, can you pass the chicken?" Someone nudged his side.

Harry glanced at the slight boy and handed him the requested item. He turned back toward his plate and lightly frowned as his fellow Slytherin was distracted by another year mate. He had been neglecting his friends, not that he had a _mob_ following him, but he still had his acquaintances that he talked to from time to time.

_I wonder what they've been doing lately._ He mused as he looked down the table, searching for the familiar faces.

Suddenly a hush swept through the Hall and Harry turned toward the commotion. Dumbledore, it figured.

The Headmaster had his arms raised, catching everyone's attention and silencing them with a curt nod.

"I am terribly sorry for interrupting your dinner this evening, but it has come to my attention that this month is October."

_Well that was a complete waste of time, hasn't he ever heard of a calendar?_ Harry was about to divert his attention back to his plate, which was _much_ more interesting.

"On that note, it is with my deepest regret that I announce the Halloween celebration has been cancelled this year." Dumbledore said to the polite silence.

_What!_

A wave of groans and boos greeted his news, yet he continued to stand and merely held up his hands for silence.

"I have decided instead to have a small competition amongst the Houses." He smiled. "It will be up to each House to decide on their task, the goal is to see who can raise the most money."

A flurry of whispers broke out as the Headmaster nodded and sat once more. Mentions of 'fundraiser' from the muggle-borns and 'great joke' from more then one pureblood surrounded Harry as he frowned.

Why the heck would they want to have a competition instead of the normal celebration? He knew that his House wouldn't willingly agree to something so mundane unless they were getting something out of the whole thing. What _were_ they getting out of the whole thing, what was _anyone_ going to take from this experience?

Dumbledore obviously had something planned.

At least he better have, or else he would have an angry House come winning day.

A prissy voice a little ways down the table caught Harry's attention and interrupted his inner thoughts, he managed not to roll his eyes at Narcissa's high-pitched screech.

"I think we should host a feast!" She gushed excitedly. "Purebloods only of course."

Lucius merely nodded and smile beside her, Harry snorted into his potatoes. _How did she manage to make it to seventh year with a brain like that? A feast, isn't it enough that they already feed us every night? That's got to be the worst idea we'll get. _

"What about a fashion show?" Another witch suggested.

_Or not._ He scoffed.

His disdain was obviously sensed, or heard, because he was soon on the receiving end of a vicious glare.

"Do you think you can do better, Potter?" Mia snapped, barging into his perfect vision of Severus.

Harry reined in his scathing retort and kept his face calm as he sniffed and turned away with his answer. _He_ would be the better of the two. "I'm not participating in a "competition amongst the Houses", what's the point?"

"We get to put the Gryffindors in their place when we win." Mia scowled at the boy's attitude.

"When? It's more like _if_ with the shit you're thinking up."

The petite witch was about to rise to his silent challenge but Severus held her back with a calming touch.

Emerald eyes glowered as Harry turned his attention toward the blonde beside Lucius.

Narcissa sneered, having taken notice to their conversation. "Yes Potter, surely you want to prove that you are a Slytherin." She smirked. "After all, you've been behaving like a lost little Hufflepuff recently."

Harry saw red. "What!" He angrily stood. "Take that back!"

"She has a point _Harry_." Mia chuckled darkly, having seen the jealous flash in the boy's eyes. "You haven't proven yourself lately, think of a better idea to ensure our win since you think yourself so high and mighty."

_You want an idea, fine!_ "We have an auction." He hissed past clenched teeth, temper about to boil over.

"An auction?" Narcissa tittered. "That's not much better then our ideas, I'm unhappy to admit, though I find the fashion show very appealing."

_You would. _"Like your stupid fashion crap will earn us enough money to beat Gryffindor. We sell students; the highest bid wins the witch or wizard for the night." _Not that you would ever be bought. _Harry glowered.

"A _marvelous_ plan." Lucius leaned forward, appearing over Narcissa's shoulder. "And will _you_ be in the auction Harry?"

There was an incredulous scoff. "_Hell_ no." Harry looked away. "Take willing victims Malfoy, _volunteers_. I merely supplied the skeleton; you fill in the blanks to this 'marvelous plan'." He waved his fork dismissively.

Gossip – as usual – broke out after Lucius returned his attention to his dinner, Harry tried to ignore the strange smirk on the aristocrat's face, but it sent a sense of foreboding through his body.

His unease seemed to sink within his stomach and he winced at the sickening roil his muscles had taken. Without acknowledging those around him, Harry rose from his seat and simply left.

In the case of Harry Potter, things never seemed to remain simple though, and he didn't try to ignore the whispers following him out. What he _did_ ignore, were the three Gryffindors who had begun to follow him out.

His plan of escape wasn't able to properly form, seeing as the great brutes attacked him as soon as the doors had closed behind them.

"Harry Potter, you little snake." James hissed into his ear as Sirius held onto the back of his robes.

"Sod off James!" Harry struggled. "Why don't you go pick on some Hufflepuffs, or do something productive for once in your life."

"Excuse me?" His brother spluttered. "What crawled up _your_ arse and died?"

Harry growled. "Revenge." A well aimed kick to the groin managed to release him from Sirius' hold and he crouched below them with a glare. "Watch your back James, or you might find yourself hexed."

He lunged past the shocked Marauders, clipping James' shoulder in the process and knocking him to the floor.

"_Harry_!" James roared.

--- --- ---

The Slytherin dorm was quiet as Harry stood at the center of the room, a tall mirror propped before him. Everyone was probably at dinner still, he didn't really care, he had plans to carry out.

He tilted his chin and brushed a lock of darkness from his vision.

_Interesting._

He stared at his reflection a moment longer, drinking in his image until he finally smirked. A plan had been formed.

_Severus will regret ever laying eyes on that conniving witch._ His eyes flashed. _I'll show them all that no one messes with Harry Potter._

* * *

AN: I just want this to end but Zoomi is forcing me to add more crap to the fic, damn overachiever. Grr man, _grr._ And because I've been so mean with the updates, I'll add another chap.

-Red


	22. Hotness

AN: _Harry Bloody Potter!_ I _so_ cannot wait for the movie:_cheers_: yay!

* * *

"Moony, I need your help."

Remus practically jumped out of his skin in surprise as the warm breath washed over his cheek. "Harry?" He squinted at the empty air beside him. "Did you swipe James' cloak again?"

Harry allowed the hood to sink about his shoulders and grinned wickedly. "Of course."

Books lay scattered around Remus' motionless form as he remained propped in a stiff chair. The library was always quiet this time of night and Harry knew that the werewolf would be hiding out in solitude now that his friends were off serving their detention.

"What is it exactly that you need from me Harry?" The amber eyed wizard asked politely while reopening a book near his elbow.

"I need a new look."

There was a moment of pause.

"_What_?" Remus turned, pinning the Slytherin with an odd look.

A mischievous grin flashed. "I need a sort of makeover." Harry repeated, inwardly cheering at his ability to stun even the stoical Remus Lupin.

The werewolf frowned. "And you expect _me_ to be able to help you?"

"You and Lily." Harry admitted, still bodiless. "Please Remus? I'm working on something and this is a vital part of my plan. I have to look _perfect_."

"Harry, I don't know." Remus seemed a bit hesitant. "James is still upset about what you did to him earlier. Sirius is too for that matter, he's been moaning about being sterile."

The cloak slipped off and pooled around his ankles as Harry angrily stood. "You know James deserved every bit of what he got Moony!" He hissed fiercely. "I'm sorry about Sirius, but he was in the way. _Merlin_, if you're so scared about what James will think, maybe I shouldn't even be talking to you."

He leaned down and fisted the cloak in an angry hand and turned to leave.

"Harry wait." Remus sighed.

The Slytherin paused, shoulders tense.

"I know I hold your brother's opinion above a lot of others, but I'm also sure you know the reason for that. James and Sirius were my first friends. Peter didn't come until later, but the point is, I don't want to make James angry enough to stop our friendship."

There was an incredulous scoff. "Remus, if James is a true friend he won't dump you as soon as you have an opinion that rivals his own. I know him, he may get a little mad, but he'll be there for you despite it." Harry said stubbornly.

There was a moment of silence and then Remus touched his back gently in apology. "I'm sorry; I know this hasn't been easy for you."

A harsh laugh shook the boy's body. "You have no idea Moony." Harry whispered. "I cared deeply for Severus, and James destroyed any chance I had at being happy. It would be like me turning Lily away from him!"

"I understand." He shook his head. "Remember when I caught the two of you during the Quidditch match? The first thing that popped into my mind was that James would be pissed. But later, I remembered how happy you looked, and I knew that Severus was the one you were choosing."

Harry turned in question.

The werewolf smiled. "I'll help you."

--- --- ---

"Of _course_ I'll help you two!" Lily laughed. "I can't have my boyfriend looking drab and boring, even if the finished product is for the benefit of someone else."

Harry smiled in relief. "Thanks Lily."

The witch stood, and motioned Harry to rise also. "Let's get to work then. Remus, are you with me?"

Remus chuckled lightly. "Ready to go." He winked.

The two Gryffindors swept Harry by the elbows and sat him in a salon type chair. It really was a wonderful thing that the Marauders had found the Room of Requirement the year before; they had an abundance of supplies at their fingertips.

Harry was turned toward a large mirror floating behind him as they readied themselves to begin the task at hand.

"Now Harry, do you have any specific likes or dislikes about the way you look?" Lily toyed with his hair.

Harry cocked his head as he looked at his reflection. "The glasses have definitely got to go, and I'd rather have a different hair style." He shrugged easily. "Other then that I don't really mind, as long as I look _hot_."

"And hot you shall be." Lily nodded with a smile. "Remus, hand me the scissors!"

--- --- ---

A low whistle brought a grin to Harry's face as Lily and Remus nodded in appreciation.

"You my friend, are _very_ sexy."

Harry jumped out of the chair and stepped closer to the enchanted mirror. "I think you're right Remus, I do look sexy."

Lily cleared her throat and Harry glanced at her as she crossed her arms expectantly.

"_Thank_ you." He laughed, turning back to his reflection. "Really, this is great."

With his glasses gone, the emerald in his eyes stood out and demanded attention, he would be forever grateful for the corrective spell that fixed his vision. His hair too looked different. No longer was it a chaotic mess that characterized the Potter males, it was stylized and highlighted with silver dotted here and there.

A quick charm had him dressed in tight leather pants that clung to his arse and thighs, Remus' idea of course, ever the gay male. Lily had decided on boots made from dragon hide and his silk shirt that was buttoned at the navel and glittered a silvery green. His tan skin shone deliciously in the dim light while he smirked in triumph.

Severus would never be able to ignore _this_ Harry.

"You look positively edible Harry; if I wasn't going for James I would absolutely jump your bones." Lily laughed as she clapped her hands happily. "I think we've outdone ourselves Remus."

The tawny haired boy nodded beside her. "You could turn any wizard gay." He grinned. "Good luck with it."

The dark head nodded; Harry would truly need all the help he could get to snatch Severus away from that _girl_. She was similar to him; except she had a vicious streak he would never have nor want.

He just hoped Severus would come back to him.

"He will." Harry growled forcefully.

Harry would make sure that he won; after all, he had had Severus first.

* * *

AN: Well I'll see u guys later, and no, it won't be like a week this time. I'll try to update before the movie comes out! 'Cus u _know_ everyone's going to go see it the first day. I am, grr, I'll make sure of it. Bwahaha, tootles!

-Red


	23. Slithering Suspicions

AN: Hm, watched the movie, and it was cool, but not what I expected. Oh well.

* * *

Harry smirked confidently as he stepped through the portrait door; this was the moment that he was waiting for, the reaction of his Housemates.

He was met by surprised silence.

_Excellent._

They were all in shock, before, where they would have seen a silent prankster, now stood a gorgeous looking wizard. He held confidence in his stride as he walked toward the fireplace, basking in the silent awe of the Slytherins.

All he needed was for Severus to see him, and if he had timed his entrance right, the fifth year would be coming soon.

The creak of the portrait announced his arrival, along with the soft chatter he and Lucius brought. Harry grinned triumphantly.

"You're wrong Severus, he won't know what – " Lucius trailed off, eyes widening as he stared at Harry and halted.

Severus frowned. "What's wrong?" He pushed past the blonde and paused, eyes resting on Harry. "What in Merlin's name – "

Harry waved. "Hello Severus, nice night, isn't it." The shadows on his face flickered in the firelight.

There was a scowl. "What is the meaning of this Potter, casting glamours so that you might feel a bit better about yourself?" Severus sneered, trying not to show that he was impressed.

"Actually, this is all natural." He smiled as he gestured toward himself. "A few friends helped out, but besides hair spray and gel, this is the new Harry."

The students continued to look between the two wizards, knowing something was going unsaid by the tense air surrounding the pair.

Of _course_ Mia would choose such a time to make her appearance, surrounded by her group of friends. Her emerald eyes narrowed suspiciously at the silence, and upon seeing Harry, lit with anger.

"Seems little Potter has finally realized he's nothing but a worthless sod." She smirked, raking her eyes over his body. "I like the glamour."

"Same here." Harry replied coolly.

"Excuse me?"

Harry gestured toward his own eyes. "The green you've decided to charm over your natural eyes. Very nice if I do say so myself, though I would suggest a color different from my own." He smiled charmingly. "We wouldn't want Severus getting any ideas, now would we?"

He stepped forward menacingly, bearing down on the dark haired girl with a hidden viciousness.

"Or perhaps that's the exact reason you've charmed your eyes to be like _mine_." He cocked a dark brow as he whispered. "Worried he won't like the real you?"

The witch gaped incredulously. "H-how dare you!" She cried, shielding her eyes from view as everyone turned toward her in an attempt to see if the rumor was true or not.

He shrugged easily and shifted toward the stairwell. "Whatever." He glanced over his shoulder. "And Miyake? This isn't a glamour." He winked. "Say hello to your new and improved rival."

--- --- ---

"Well I heard that they had a duel, and Harry won!"

"No, that wasn't what happened, I was there, Mia hexed Potter before he could make a move toward his wand!"

"Really?"

"I thought it was Snape who hexed both of them. Isn't he the angry lover?"

"Of course not! Harry's the one!"

"No!"

"Yes, it's true!"

Harry smirked as he rounded the corner, keeping to the shadows. Rumors were spreading fast, all false, and _far_ from the truth. He couldn't believe some of the things people were making up in the halls.

"What about Lily? Wasn't one of the Slytherins going out with her?"

"It was Potter!"

He chuckled silently, _that_ rumor was still firmly in place too.

_This could turn out to be fun._ He slunk around the corner, eyes narrowed predatorily as he watched for any witnesses. His targets that fine morning were the Marauders, one, for getting in his way and two, it was in an attempt to impress Severus.

A soft swish of a fluttering cloak forced him into a crouch and he glared at his surroundings tensely.

"_Harry_." A teasing voice drawled.

A soft sigh was the only show of irritation. "Malfoy, you really need to stop following me." Harry stood quickly and shot a quick glare at the blonde, this wasn't the first time he had caught Malfoy tagging after him that particular morning. _I'm starting to understand why Severus was so annoyed with me when I did it._

Lucius grinned charmingly. "But you have such a lovely arse my dear Harry." He purred silkily. "How can I resist following such a sight?"

"_Please_." Harry rolled his eyes. "Do contain yourself."

The older teen stepped forward and leaned against the wall above the green eyed boy, trapping him with his body. "I know about you and Severus." He whispered.

Harry stiffened, eyes widening and then narrowing in mere seconds. "What are you trying to say?" he demanded. _If you think I'll be your little fuck toy, you got another thing coming to you._

"Let me take his place." Lucius murmured, surprising the boy at his forwardness. "I promise you I am a very able lover, and I would spoil you Harry, the way you deserve to be."

He shook his head. "No, I can't." Harry pushed away. "And neither can _you_ Malfoy, what about Narcissa? You're just going to drop her every time you see something pretty?"

"Think yourself pretty, Potter?" Lucius smirked.

"Yes, but that's not the point and you know it. I don't even _know_ you, why would I want to date you?" A brow was cocked in an imitation of the elder. "What I've _seen_ though, is another matter; you're a cold, heartless bastard. I don't want anything to do with people like _that_."

Lucius remained calm, smiling in what was beginning to be an irritating manner. "You wound me Harry." He breathed. "But that won't stop me from claiming you. I _will_ have you; a Malfoy _always_ gets what he wants."

"Not this time Lucius." Harry glowered.

"We shall see." He smiled. "But on a lighter note, I've bought a present for you." The aristocrat pulled out a silver box with small holes drilled into the sides.

Harry started to back away. "I don't think so." _Severus never bought me anything and this feels so wrong with Lucius trying to win me over._

"I _insist_." Lucius forcibly pushed the box into Harry's clammy hands.

Before the dark haired wizard could refuse and give back _whatever_ it was, Lucius had already swept down the hall and disappeared.

"Damn him." Harry cursed silently.

He stood for a moment in silence and then sighed reluctantly. _Might as well figure out what it is._ He relented.

A tiny latch on the side was the only thing keeping the lid closed, so of _course_ Harry flipped it open, not at _all_ suspicious of its contents. Sometimes he wondered why he was put in Slytherin with his trusting tendencies.

It was at the exact moment that the lid flew to the ground that he wondered such a thing.

_What the –_ He had winced away from the soft glow of amber, but now slowly turned, eyes bugging out in amazement. _Bloody hell! Is he serious? _

Within the silver box, and placed lovingly on the green tinged cushion, was a snake. Not just _any_ snake, but a young Runespoor. Slowly the three miniature heads turned, flicking out curious tongues at their new master.

It _was_ a beautiful creature, orange scales, and ragged black stripes. Almost like a tiger. The only thing that unnerved Harry was the fact that Runespoors were usually companions of _Dark_ wizards.

There was now no doubt that Lucius had connections with Dark wizards, not that Harry hadn't thought that _before_, but since he had gotten his hands on a snake of this species, the blonde _had_ to be a Death Eater, if not worse.

_It figures he would buy me an evil little snake in an attempt to woo me. Some people I wonder about, Lucius especially. Does he think I'll actually like it?_

The small reptile slithered up his cloaked arm, scales smooth and glinting as it came to rest loosely around his neck.

"_Hello there little beauty._" A chill stabbed through his gut as he softly hissed and stroked his new pet.

How had Lucius known?

* * *

AN: I don't know.

-Red


	24. Lucius!

shirlchi: Holy crappers! R u serious:_cries_: That sucks!

JuMiKu: Mm, no Volde fighting, he's just gathering his followers at this point I suppose. Harry's not going to be the "chosen one" in this fic.

Sophie Malfoy: I luv the Snape part too! I couldn't stop laughing.

Vyxagallanxchi: I'm glad u found me again! I hope u like what I've done with it.

AN: And thank u everyone else who reviewed!

* * *

"What the – _bloody hell_ Potter, what the heck did you do to yourself?" Sirius exclaimed when he saw the boy the next morning.

The young Slytherin was once more inexplicably dressed; it was a fine change to his normally loose clothes and it left Sirius in a state of shock.

"I see you woke up late, you seem to have lost a few brain cells in the process." Harry grinned cheekily. "You know Black, I _distinctly_ remember someone telling me it was a hopeless cause to try and tame my hair." He laughed. "Well you know me; I always like to prove people wrong. I wanted a new image, why don't you ask your boyfriend about it?"

He gaped. "_Remus_ did this?"

"Lily helped too." Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "I really must be on my way now, things to do, people to hex." He winked as he pushed past the surprised Gryffindor.

It was a wonderful feeling to walk into the Great Hall and cause silence to descend; Harry smiled brightly and waved sarcastically at the Gryffindor table where his brother stared at him with an astonished expression. In fact, the entire Hall was surprised by his overnight change.

Of course, two Gryffindors wore huge grins, as though they were the cat that had eaten the canary. All their hard work had paid off; Harry was in essence, a celebrity.

With cockiness only a Malfoy could master, or any other Slytherin that had the time to practice, Harry sauntered to his own table and sat with flourish.

There were a few more seconds of silence before Sirius chose to walk into the Hall, everyone looked at him and then began talking avidly amongst themselves.

"Well Potter, it seems you have improved your image, well done." Narcissa lifted her goblet toward him with a wane smile.

He nodded, glancing over her shoulder to briefly meet eyes with Lucius and turned. He couldn't take the blonde seriously, not when he had his arm possessively around Sirius' cousin. What had happened this morning must have been a fluke.

The soft thrum of his new snake belied the falseness of that stray thought though, Lucius wanted him, it was as simple as that.

Harry snuck a quick peek out the corner of his eye toward his ex-lover. Severus seemed different today; it was a good different, Harry decided, since he wasn't sitting as closely to Mia as he had been the previous day.

_Maybe my new attitude affected him somehow; he did say he wanted me to be more Slytherin._

He smirked silently. It wouldn't be that easy to win him over this time, Harry was going to have work his little arse off if he wanted to get Severus back. He counted on a challenge, especially if Mia was still in the picture.

She seemed different too, subdued maybe? He wouldn't get his hopes up. It seemed she hadn't removed the glamour on her eyes either.

_Stupid bitch, trying to win Severus over with a copy of my eyes. She must know he's partial to green; she's definitely done her homework. _

Unwillingly he looked toward his own "girlfriend" he desperately hoped Severus didn't have feelings for Lily still. He also hoped that James would stop being stupid and ask her out, but that didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon.

_I'd probably grow wings before James choked up the nerve to ask Lily out, stupid sod, why does he have to be so stubborn?_

He ignored the voice in his head that said he was exactly the same when it came to stubbornness, opting instead to filling his plate with breakfast.

A nudge at the side of his neck alerted him to the snake and he discretely lifted a piece of bacon, wincing as his fingertip was nipped in the process.

"_Can you try to be a little less violent?_" He whispered.

_Sorry, but we're hungry!_ A small voice hissed in his ear.

Harry continued to secretly feed the tiny mouths, making sure no one was watching his odd behavior. When the Runespoor refused another bite of meat Harry tucked into his own breakfast, content that his companion was fed.

His gaze shifted as he ate silently, there were still people watching him curiously, his new attitude surprising to most.

_Eck, I don't feel like dealing with this all day. _He inwardly muttered. _I suppose I can skive off for the day. _

His mood immediately lightened and he decided he was finished eating.

Sending a quick shield around Lily, who just _happened_ to be sitting a bit closer to James then she should have been, Harry rapidly whispered a volley of hexes, his wand discretely pointing toward the Gryffindor table.

Screams rose up and everyone turned in the direction of the flailing youths. The Marauders found themselves being attacked by their food and dishware. Syrup dripped over their heads as pieces of toast battered them in the face and bacon stuffed itself into their mouths to halt their curses. The forks and knives danced around their heads in a floating parade as the goblets clashed together like cymbals.

Everyone laughed.

_Take that James._ Harry smirked as he calmly left the Hall.

--- --- ---

Surprisingly, quite a few people had decided to skip classes that day. Harry managed to hold back his question as he spied a few Slytherins spread out on the couches.

"Decided to stay in today?" He drawled.

The first years jumped in surprise and turned toward the intruder.

"Hey, you're Harry Potter." One pointed accusingly.

Harry grinned. "Yes, last time I checked."

"You're the one everyone is talking about?" A witch asked curiously.

He shrugged easily. "I suppose. How _are_ the rumors these days by the way?"

A bright eyed boy leaned forward eagerly. "They say you're having a torrid love affair with a Gryffindor."

"And that you were the lover of Severus Snape." Another girl put in.

_Wow, that pretty much sums up everything._ "Interesting." He said aloud. "I didn't think they would spread so fast."

"You don't care?" One of the boys asked in surprise.

"Not particularly. It happens to the best of us." Harry shrugged uncaringly. "So you'd better watch what _you_ do too, or someone might decide you're "what's new" in the rumor mill."

That seemed to scare them a bit and Harry smiled, choosing to sit on the arm of one of the loveseats.

"Are you enjoying your year so far?" He asked conversationally.

"It's alright." A girl shrugged.

_Hm, must be a pureblood. _Harry nodded. His movement seemed to have awakened the Runespoor from its nap because in the next moment it was sticking one of its heads out curiously and tasting the air with its forked tongue.

Gasps of shock surrounded him and Harry smiled again. "Don't be scared, it doesn't bite." _At least I don't think they do._

"What is it?"

Harry winked. "It's a Runespoor." He informed as he pulled out his friend, exposing the three heads which began waving through the air with interest.

"A Runespoor?" The whisper held awe. "How did you get your hands on one of those?" The boy obviously knew about the magical creature.

Harry shrugged and shifted the snake along his neck, draping the orange scales in a way that they glimmered in the early light. "I have connections." He replied airily.

_Connections, yes._ One of the heads hissed in amusement. _Lucius is a good connection to have._

The middle head turned sleepily. _Let him have his moment, perhaps he has something planned, something Slytherin and sneaky that he will use us for. _

_Stupid dreams for a stupid brain._ The left hissed scathingly. _He has nothing planned, he's just being cocky._

Their hissing grew louder and more venomous and the Slytherins watching backed away in horror.

"_Stop it!_" Harry growled under his breath.

The three heads turned at his command and sulkily obeyed.

Harry smiled weakly. "Well, I'd better be going; these three don't seem to like an audience."

The Slytherins agreed quite readily and Harry made his departure with a soft growl, deciding he'd much rather walk the corridors then be cooped up inside.

"_You three had better behave yourselves; I don't appreciate being embarrassed by your stupid bickering._" He warned.

_They started it._ The middle head hissed petulantly.

"_I don't care who started it, I'm stopping it._"

_Really Master, it's in our nature to argue._ The right hissed with a quiet murmur.

The left hissed laughingly. _Yes, because some of us our smarter then others._

Harry sighed irritably, perhaps Lucius had ulterior motives behind his "gift" the three headed snake was beginning to grind on his nerves. It probably wouldn't be too long before Harry went insane.

"_Tell me about yourselves._" He finally said. "_I'm afraid I don't know much about your species, only that you are very rare._"

The right head raised his neck a little higher then the rest and seemed to preen. _We are a Runespoor, a three headed snake with three brains, yes? _

"_Er, yes._" Harry nodded, not understanding where this was going.

_We each have a different personality._ It hissed again. _I am the planner._

The middle head seemed to smile sleepily. _I am the dreamer._

_And I'm the brains._ The left head scoffed.

The right head snapped at the sarcastic left and hissed with irritation. _He is the critic if you couldn't tell. _

"_Hm, this is interesting, I suppose I now understand why you bicker so much. Your three personalities seem to clash a bit._"

_Indeed._ The right agreed.

"_So what am I supposed to call you?_" Harry pondered.

_Why not just refer to us as our talents?_ Critic hissed.

Dreamer nodded. _That would be nice, then when we are great, people will know our names. _

_Shut up you stupid fool._ Critic spat. _Merlin I can't stand you._

_Don't call him a fool, he has more ideas then you could ever possibly hope to have._ Planner chided.

Fangs flashed and before Harry could stop them, the three had begun stabbing at each other again.

"_Dammit! Will you stop?_" He stomped his foot as he stopped walking. "_It's no wonder your species is so rare, you're all off killing yourselves over petty things!_"

"I see you are enjoying my gift." An amused voice sounded behind him.

Harry whirled around and stared at Lucius with suspicion. "Following me again?" He asked flatly.

"No." Lucius returned calmly. "Just walking the halls, looking for new victims." His eyes crawled up Harry's form.

"Well I thought I saw a few Ravenclaws a few portraits back." Harry offered, pretending not to notice the leer.

Lucius stepped closer. "You look nice enough." He murmured silkily.

_Is he trying to be obvious?_ Critic snorted.

_I think it's romantic; it's a courtship between wizards._ Dreamer hissed.

Harry groaned and shook his head. "_I don't like him okay?_"

"So I was correct, you _are_ a Parselmouth." Lucius whispered, eyes glinting with thought.

He stiffened. "I'd like to know how you found that out." Harry glared. "I haven't told anybody, not even James."

Lucius shrugged and moved even closer, his breath hot on Harry's cheek as he gently stroked the Runespoor's body.

"I have my ways."

Harry twitched, and tried not to react to the closeness of their bodies. The heat between them was tense and he inwardly moaned. This was torture! Lucius knew what he was doing too, he slowly moved his palm upward and cupped Harry's cheek in its warmth.

"Such lovely skin, it's so smooth." He murmured as he ran his fingers across the flushed skin and brushed back a dark strand of hair. "Your eyes are deep pools of emerald Harry, I can see why there are so many after you."

_What? No one's ever hinted at having an interest in me._ Harry's eyes lidded at the feelings rushing through him.

He couldn't stop Lucius from leaning forward, just as he couldn't stop the firm lips from pressing against his own. He found he didn't want to either.

_More._

Fingers tangled through his hair as Lucius pulled Harry's body closer, embracing him to his chest in a gentle motion. The nibbling at his lips tickled Harry, and he opened his mouth as a slick tongue rubbed against his own wanting digit.

_This can't be real, it's too good. Severus, he never did this willingly._ Harry whimpered, eyes tightly shut. _There was always something he wanted afterward._

Harry pushed against the taller wizard, he felt like he was burning from the inside out. Lucius held his salvation from the fire; he held the cool touch of hope.

_You have an audience._ Planner hissed in warning.

Emerald eyes shot open in fear and he pushed away from the older teen as he turned around.

Severus.

He groaned and dropped his head onto Lucius' shoulder. It figured that the one person who he wouldn't want to see this would be the one to find them.

_Damn._ He shook his head and lifted his gaze once more to stare at the stunned wizard.

"_Severus_." Lucius purred, pulling Harry closer to his body. "Fancy meeting you here, shouldn't you be in class?" He narrowed silver eyes.

There was a moment's pause but Severus gained his wits quickly. "I could ask the same of you." He glowered darkly, refusing to look at Harry.

"I was meeting my lover." Lucius gestured toward the smaller form. "I think that's reason enough.

"What! Lucius, you had better – " A smooth hand silenced his protests.

"Now, now Harry, I promise there will be enough time for that later." He smirked at the hooked nosed teen. "When we are _alone_."

Severus stiffened, looking from Harry to Lucius in quick succession and then turned sharply with a huff. His footsteps were hurried as he rounded the corner without a backwards glance.

"Why did you do that?" Harry demanded angrily. "You've probably ruined my chances even more then James did!"

Lucius tightened his hold and Harry froze. "He doesn't deserve you Harry, _I_ want you. I will have you." He leaned down and nipped at his earlobe with a quick nuzzle. "Tomorrow is the beginning of Dumbledore's foolish competition. Be ready for me."

He released the boy and began to walk away with purposeful strides.

_What the hell is that supposed to mean?_ Harry frowned. _I already told him I wasn't participating in that stupid thing._

"You'd better stop following me Lucius!" He called after the blonde. "I won't hesitate to hex you next time!"

The elder merely waved over his shoulder with a lazy wink. "I'll see you later Harry."

"_What is wrong with him?_" Harry shook his head as he watched the teen leave.

_He likes you._ Dreamer sighed.

Harry glared. "_Shut it._"

* * *

AN: _Yeah_…don't know where this is going, don't worry though; it won't end up LM/HP. And I couldn't find Zoomi, so if there r any mistakes, sorry.

-Red


	25. Sold

Sophie Malfoy: Lol, flip it around.

chocolatedemon: Eh, I think they're just trying to raise money or something. I suppose I'll explain more in the next chap.

* * *

Harry wandered the corridors listlessly; this House competition thing was becoming a big deal to the students. He really didn't see what was so fun about a stupid auction, or why people would actually buy their fellow students.

_The Slytherins would without question._ He reminded himself, thinking along those lines, he wondered what the other Houses were doing. _Probably something stupid._

Still, he hadn't seen Malfoy. He was worried, Lucius didn't make threats loosely, well he did but he always meant them in the end.

"_Tomorrow is the beginning of Dumbledore's foolish competition. Be ready for me."_

A shudder ran through Harry as he remembered the blonde's forewarning.

_Bloody wanker._ He growled and continued on his way.

He walked outside and shielded his eyes against the glare of the sun, the area where the "competition" would take place was large and people were already milling about. Each House was given a certain area to set up their "stations" as Dumbledore so eloquently put it.

There was a shield around the Slytherin station so that no curious eyes could see what was planned until everything had officially started. Harry didn't know what was to be shown himself, even though it was his idea in the first place.

He mentally shrugged; he had better things to do then ponder over the madness of his House. He sighed wistfully and rubbed at his bare neck, he had been forced to leave the Runespoor in its box, safely tucked away next to his bed.

_I never thought I would miss the annoying prats._ He smiled endearingly.

"Reminiscing about a past lover?"

Harry blinked back to the present and looked down at the simple table set up. "Excuse me?"

A Ravenclaw sixth year looked up at him from her position behind the foldable table. "You seemed deep in thought." She explained.

"Oh." Harry rubbed the nape of his neck with a slight frown. "Just thinking I suppose." He turned toward the odd sight before him and cocked his head.

"Is this the Ravenclaw station?" He asked doubtfully.

The dark eyed boy sitting next to the witch nodded distractedly as he remained focused on the tome within his eager palms. "Yes."

"What are you supposed to be doing?" Harry was confused.

He glanced up from his book. "We're raising money." He replied as though it were obvious.

"_How_?"

The girl sighed and pointed toward the box in front of them. "With this box."

"Does it _do_ anything?" Harry looked at it curiously.

The pair shared twin looks of disbelief.

"I knew Slytherins were stupid, but this is ridiculous." The wizard shook his head. "People put money in the box."

"_Why_?" Harry blinked. "Do you give them something?"

"_No_." The witch replied.

"Who the heck would put money _in_ if they don't get anything in return!" Harry exclaimed.

"The most logical route is to have a simple donation box, instead of such extravagant shows as the other Houses are producing." She rolled her eyes. "Do you expect us to have dancing bears or perhaps dragons?" She asked sarcastically.

Harry nodded. "I'd pay to see that."

The boy waved his hand in a shooing motion. "Well then go, you won't find that here."

_Bloody Ravenclaws, they always think they're so smart._ Harry turned away from the pathetic stand. _They're definitely setting themselves up for failure. Logical route my arse._

He wandered around until he found the Hufflepuff station by following his nose. Harry inwardly sniggered at the display; he should have known the emotional Hufflepuffs would do something so _cute_.

"A bake sale?" He smiled at the chubby boy behind the pay booth.

The rosy cheeked wizard smiled nervously. "Would you like to buy something?" He asked politely. "Everything is fresh."

Harry glanced at the wide variety of sweets and baked goods. "Hm, I'll have a bag of chocolate chip cookies." He decided, reaching for his money pouch. "And a bit of licorice too I suppose."

The Hufflepuff's eyes lit happily as he prepared Harry's order. "That will be three Galleons and eight Sickles please."

_Merlin! These cookies had better be able to do my homework with the price the Hufflepuffs are charging!_

"Thanks." Harry grinned instead, he needed these for his plan after all, there was no sense in angering his supplier.

He took his purchases and strode toward the shadowed trees, he needed someplace quiet. His work didn't take long, a few whispered incantations and the cookies had been laced.

He shifted and began walking with his head lowered, which was probably why he bumped into someone.

"S-sorry!" A worried voice stuttered out.

Harry lifted his face and smiled at his brother's plump friend in surprise.

"Peter!" Harry glanced around. "Have you seen James?"

"N-no." Peter shook his head in denial. "But I'm g-going to meet up with him right now, d-did you need something?"

The Slytherin held up the limp bag of cookies, the aroma of freshly baked goods wafting around their heads. "I wanted to give these to him." He's expression began to fall in disappointment. "But I suppose if I can't find him…"

"I can take them!" Peter offered quickly.

Harry handed Peter the bag of cookies and smiled disarmingly. "Can you give these to my brother for me; and tell him that I wanted to apologize about the other day?"

The chubby Gryffindor nodded eagerly. "Of course! I'll take them right now!" He bounded away happily.

The youngest Potter smirked as he watched the odd teen run out of sight. He knew Pettigrew didn't intend on taking the sweets to James; the fat lard would hole himself up somewhere and undoubtedly stuff his face.

But that was just fine; the spell would work and take care of the first Marauder. Just as planned. A little spell and the poor fat boy would be suffering from the after-effects of the magical laxatives. Harry winced in sympathy; it was going to be a long day for the Gryffindor.

_Oh well. _

The green eyed boy turned at the crunch of dry leaves under foot and froze. Harry snapped out his wand just as a spell shot toward him.

_Shit. _

He fell into darkness.

--- --- ---

"Have you seen Wormtail?" Remus frowned worriedly.

"Who cares?" Sirius shrugged. "The rat's probably off at the Hufflepuff table, they were selling cookies you know."

The three Marauders continued walking around the grounds, the stations had all been set up and everyone was looking around at the different Houses.

James shook his hair out of his face and squinted toward the sun. "Should we go back to Gryffindor and look for him?" He suggested.

"He's fine!" Sirius huffed. "He'll either catch up to us or he's at the Gryffindor station dancing."

Remus pinched his bicep. "Don't be so crude. Peter's our friend whether you like it or not."

Sirius pouted and turned away sulkily.

"Hey, you want to go see the competition?" James grinned suddenly. "It looks like they're drawing a crowd."

"Slytherins?" Sirius perked up.

The werewolf nodded. "I suppose we _should_ see what we're up against." He admitted.

They quickly jogged across the grass, it hadn't been that far from their previous position after all, and stood before the Slytherin area.

"What the hell are they _doing_?" Sirius demanded as he surveyed their new surroundings.

"Language Padfoot." Remus chided and lightly smacked his chest. "Though I _do_ agree with your sentiments." He grimaced.

The Slytherins, in short, were selling people.

A medium sized stage had been erected and a group of students were forming around the platform. The auction had already begun and a few students had been sold to the audience. It was the _way_ they were earning their audience that was so appalling.

They had silver chains and cuffs circling the ankles of those on display, perched on silky pillows were two _very_ provocative looking wizards, drawing attention to the Slytherins' station and earning more onlookers.

"Wow, they're _hot_." Sirius breathed.

"_Excuse_ me?" Remus glared.

Sirius flushed and held his hands up pleadingly. "Er, they should go put some shirts on." He said nervously. "I mean, they _must_ be cold in only those little loincloth things." Remus glared again. "Not that I like them! Or their lack of clothing!"

"You're digging yourself a deeper grave Black." James commented as he acknowledged the Slytherins' attempt to raise money.

"I didn't mean I wanted to see them! Not that it wouldn't be fun to see how the auctioning will – _ow_! _Remus_!" Sirius whined as he was smacked upside his head.

"Next time keep your mouth shut and listen to James." Moony retorted, forcibly grabbing his boyfriend's arm in case he got any bad ideas and decided to wander off.

They stepped closer, earning leering winks from the chained males.

"It figures the Slytherins would choose to do something so degrading." James muttered beside Remus and Sirius.

"As though you _Gryffindors_ are any better." A snide voice broke into their discussion. "I could have sworn I saw a circus tent set up at your station, I suppose it reflects all the muggles within your House. Have you finally put them where they belong, in _cages_?"

Sirius scowled at the aristocratic blonde. "Shut it Malfoy, I'm surprised you aren't up there selling yourself off with your mates." He nodded toward the Slytherin stage. "Merlin knows you do it enough for free, might as well get paid for once."

Lucius turned up his nose at the obvious insult, choosing to sneer instead. "I'd _much_ rather be the one bidding, I hear there are some very fine specimens up for auction."

James didn't like the glint in the Slytherin's eyes. "Harry had better not be a part of your fucking show." He growled warningly.

"_My_ show? Why Potter, it was your _brother's_ idea." Lucius informed gleefully.

A dark flush stained the Gryffindor's cheeks. "I don't care who's idea it was, I want to know if Harry's to be sold or not!"

Remus nervously tugged at James' robes. "Prongs, I think you'd better look back at the stage." He gulped.

Both James and Lucius shifted their attention and hazel eyes widened in surprise while Lucius smirked.

"And now up for sale is Harry Potter!" The auctioneer called.

--- --- ---

Harry stared out at the crowd. How the _hell_ had he ended up here? One moment he was talking to Peter and the next he was being pushed on stage! Damn Lucius! This was undoubtedly his fault!

_I swear I'm going to kill him when I get my hands on him._ He glowered at the upturned faces. This had to be the worst moment of his life, well, maybe not the _worst_, there _was_ that time he had swallowed –

"Let's start the bidding at one Galleon!"

He glared at the wizard selling him off, some stupid Gryffindor that had volunteered to be the auctioneer. Something Jordan, the name wasn't really important, what _was_ important was glaring at the dark skinned fiend until he burst into a ball of flames.

He didn't think that would be happening anytime soon.

_One Galleon! I'm worth more then that!_ Harry huffed and turned toward the crowd that had gathered. He paled upon seeing his brother's furious face and Lucius lifting his wand to bid.

"We have one Galleon! Do I hear five?" Jordan continued.

"Ten!" Lucius raised his wand again with a cool grin.

"Ten, we have _ten_ Galleons, anyone willing to go higher?" He glanced about the crowd. "This is a lovely wizard my friends, surely you want to spend the day with – "

"Fifty!"

"Did I hear that correctly? _Fifty_?" Jordan searched for the raised wand and laughed. "Ah, it seems James Potter has decided to enter the fray. We have fifty Galleons then; do I hear fifty-five? Sixty?"

Lucius pushed James back and raised his wand. "One hundred."

_Merlin kill me now!_ Harry's eye widened. _He must be serious if he's willing to lose that much._

"Damn you Malfoy!" James screamed, trying to lunge at the cocky blonde, but failing with the extra weight of Remus and Sirius holding onto his arms.

"Wow, _one hundred_!" Jordan yelled across the crowd. "It looks like we're going to have a winner unless someone else bids! That's enough to buy a pretty decent broom!"

The blonde laughed. "I'll even add fifty-six Sickles and two Knuts."

_Please someone do something, anyone but Malfoy._ He scanned the on looking faces desperately and halted on one particular sneer.

Severus, he was here! Surely _he_ would save him!

His gaze lit hopefully, locking eyes with the shadowed wizard. Severus stared at him, an unreadable expression on his face as he slowly turned away.

_No…_ Harry's eyes widened in horror.

"_Sold_, to Lucius Malfoy for one hundred Galleons fifty-six Sickles and two Knuts!" The whispers broke out. "Come up and collect your prize Mr. Malfoy!"

Harry was numb as he watched Lucius slide easily through the crowd and up to the stage. "Darling." He held out his arms mockingly before easily pulling Harry away by the arm.

_This can't be happening._ Harry stared at the spot Severus had been standing in. _He left me._

As he was pulled past his brother and his friends, Harry managed to send them a wounded expression before they were lost in the crowd.

He had been sold.

--- --- ---

Severus paced angrily through the halls. This was ridiculous, he didn't care if Harry was sold or not, really, he _didn't_!

_Potter, he's Potter now._ He silently growled to himself.

"Severus, what's wrong?" A feminine voice asked.

He turned toward the witch he had chosen over the boy, there were slight similarities between the two, and he was starting to realize that now. The green eyes, the stubbornness that decided their actions, everything was drawing to one conclusion. How had he not _seen_ it before?

He was trying to replace Potter.

With someone that reminded him of the stupid boy.

"Severus?" Mia questioned again, curious as to his silence.

"It's nothing." He forced past clenched teeth. He was too tense; too many emotions were running through his head at that point.

The utmost thought was of betrayal.

He had betrayed Harry.

_Potter dammit!_

He couldn't deal with these _feelings_. Too long had he been cold, he had never thought that anyone could get past his shields. Let alone a worthless little boy! One that he was using for a means of revenge!

_I don't care, I don't, I can't._ He chanted. He had been doing that a lot lately, and after seeing the lost look in Harry's eyes, it had become too much.

"I have to go." He muttered.

Mia blinked in surprise. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No."

Without glancing back Severus left for the Slytherin common room. Mia glared at his departing form.

"Fucking Potter."

* * *

AN: What will happen next? We'll see in the next update! Oh, and the money stuff, Harry pretty much paid 25 bucks for cookies, and Lucius paid around 757.18, mister big spender. Lol, later.

-Red


	26. Join Me

AN: K, this chap is a bit violent; I was in a weird mood, I'm sorry, sheesh! At least I'm warning u, most of the time I forget and people get mad.

**Have u guys seen the new comment things? Can I reply to u with those if u have questions? I have to ask! I feel rude otherwise, even though I'll prob still do it even if u don't answer me. **

* * *

"Welcome to my room."

Harry warily surveyed his new surroundings_. It figures Malfoy has his own room away from the other seventh years. Lucky sod. _

"It's nice." Harry muttered, unwilling to admit that he was impressed.

The spacious room was decorated richly with deep blues and silvers; surprisingly enough there was a lack of Slytherin colors. Harry's eyes widened in awe as he realized they were merely standing in what could be described as the "common room"; a few more doors further into the room showed that Lucius had an abundance of rooms to suit his needs.

_The room must be charmed._ Harry mused, staring up at the ceiling. _And this just proves that a bit of money in the right hand can get you what you want._

"I'm glad you approve." Lucius smiled, snapping Harry out of his revere.

He turned toward Lucius and watched calmly as the tall wizard moved smoothly across the room and toward a large mahogany desk that was littered with important looking papers.

"Go ahead and make yourself comfortable Harry." Lucius murmured as he looked down and read one of the parchments. "You'll be here for a while yet." He glanced up and smirked.

An unwilling shiver shook through Harry as he reluctantly went to sit by the fire. He wasn't cold exactly, it was still early in the day for that, but the warmth of the flames gave him comfort in this unfamiliar environment.

"Why did you buy me?" Harry asked suddenly.

Cocking a pale brow, Lucius silently observed Harry.

_What's he looking at? Do I have something on my face?_ The younger fidgeted under his scrutiny.

"I've been watching you Harry." The blonde murmured finally. "I have been for a while now, and I've decided to make my move."

Harry's mouth dropped. "You've been watching me?" He demanded with a yelp.

"It doesn't matter, what does is that you understand me and accept what I'm offering you." Lucius stepped closer and grasped Harry's hands in his own.

A huff of irritation met his words and Harry nodded knowingly. "You already told me that you wanted to be my boyfriend. I'm not sure if I like you enough to – "

"That's not what I'm trying to tell you now. That conversation is one of the past, this present one holds more importance."

_Does he have to hold my hands like this? And if he doesn't want to be my boyfriend then why the hell am I here?_

Lucius slowly led Harry back toward his desk, the further from the fire he stepped, the colder Harry became. He was getting a bad feeling about this.

"Do you know who the Dark Lord is?"

_What in Merlin's name? Is he kidding me?_ Harry scowled. "Of course I know who that is. He's the one recruiting Death Eaters or whatever they're called." He tugged at his hands, trying to free them. "What does this have to do with…" He trailed off, eyes slowly widening.

Lucius laughed deeply and rolled up his sleeves as he continued to pin Harry with his body against the large desk.

"Join me Harry; I'm sure my Master will reward you well." Lucius whispered seductively, gently kissing the boy's temple. "I know you would do well under his hand, you could be powerful."

Harry stiffened and slowly glanced down at the teen's forearm.

The Dark Mark screamed up at him and the blood immediately drained from his face.

_Oh shit, I'm in way over my head. It's one thing assuming something, but actually seeing it… Merlin, I feel sick._

Lucius pulled the smaller body tightly into his hold. "I feel your heart beating Harry; it's so rapid… like a scared little rabbit." He chuckled darkly. "Are you scared of me?"

It was beating rapidly? To Harry it felt as though his chest would explode with the fierce pounding in his ears.

_I have to get out of here._ His panicked eyes darted toward the door.

"So?" Lucius grasped his chin and forced him to turn and lock eyes with his own steel gaze. "Will you join the Dark Lord?"

"N-never." Harry hissed past clenched teeth. _Why would he think I would say anything but no?_

Steel narrowed to icy sharpness. "Excuse me?" He demanded.

Harry ripped his face away from the cold hold of his captor. "I said _no_." He breathed harshly.

Lucius growled and wasted no time in backhanding Harry, the force of his blow sending the boy reeling.

"You _fool_!" He spat. "Do you not understand what I'm offering you?"

The throbbing of his cheek distracted Harry for a moment and he blinked dizzily as he tried to right himself.

"You could be great, yet you _refuse_?" Lucius circled the quaking boy distractedly. "I thought you were a _Slytherin_ Potter, you have the power!" He ranted. "You have the opportunity to harness that power and you refuse."

"I won't be evil." Harry glared.

He found himself being laughed at as Lucius came to a halt in front of him, leering dangerously with a vicious grin. "There is a fine line Harry, good and evil, is there really a difference?" He raised a pale brow. "Or perhaps you fear going against your brother. It's no secret that he loves those filthy Muggles."

"Shut up!" Harry yelled, eyes flashing.

Lucius smiled slowly. "You fear his opinion of you." He taunted. "You won't make a move unless you have your brother's approval. Pathetic Potter, that's really _pathetic_."

Harry screamed as he lunged at the blonde, fist cocked and swooping toward the fine cheek. His knuckles connected with the soft flesh, sending Lucius' head snapping to the side with the force of his momentum.

_Uh oh._ Harry's eyes widened in shock.

Lucius roared angrily and threw Harry away from him, knocking the slight body into the mahogany desk and clipping his side.

"Arg!" Harry grimaced in pain and doubled over.

"You little slut." Lucius hovered over him, panting lightly as he swiped his hair from his face. "You'll regret doing that." He warned.

_I probably will._ Harry weakly fell to his knees and glared up reproachfully as the blonde moved forward with menace.

Before Harry could back away, the larger wizard snatched a letter opener from the desk and viciously stabbed downward onto Harry's leg.

Harry screamed in pure agony as the dull knife plunged into his thigh and he toppled onto his back. "_Ah_!" Blood immediately pooled and stained his pants a deep red as Lucius released his hold and left the gruesome picture as it was.

"Do you like the feel of pain Harry?" Lucius licked his lips excitedly, eyes glowing with lust.

Choked sobs were the only thing Harry could manage at the moment and he hiccupped as he glared through his tears. "N-no-t ev-veryone is a m-mas-sochist li-k-e _you_." He spat. "F-fucking b-ba-stard." He shuddered as pained chills raced up his spine.

Lucius scowled and brought his boot down onto the knife with force, burying it deeper into the thick flesh of the boy's thigh. Harry howled, bile rising in his throat as a wave of sickness passed through him, arching his back in agony. He was going to pass out, he knew it, the pain was too much. The smell of blood tickled his nose as tears dribbled into his screaming mouth.

"S-stop it!" He pleaded, limply melting into the floor as he cradled his wound with blood slicked hands. "_Please_."

"I _could_ stop Harry." Lucius murmured, teeth bared as his chest heaved with the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "Then again, you _could_ accept my offer," he smiled charmingly, "but we don't see that happening anytime soon, _do_ we?"

_Please, Merlin._ Harry sobbed, swallowing thickly as his vision blurred. _Why the fuck is this happening to me!_

Harry lurched forward with a scream as Lucius ripped the letter opener from his leg, sending a fresh spurt of blood across his pants and skin. This was worse then any curse or hex he had been victim to, even worse then the minor injuries he had experienced over the years.

He didn't know how much more of this he would be able to take, it hurt, and Lucius was actually _enjoying_ it.

"Why are you doing this?" He sobbed. "I hate you!" Harry yelled helplessly, fingers twitching as they attempted to stem the flow of blood.

Lucius clenched his fists angrily. "You hate me?" He shook his head with a cold smile. "If you hate me then you will most definitely despise your little _Severus_."

Harry blinked and warily watched the blonde. "What?" He frowned at the complete change of topic.

"Snape, your boyfriend I suppose, or whatever it is you call him." Lucius shrugged uncaringly. "Do you know what he did to you, what he allowed _me_ to do to you?"

"N-no…" Harry whispered, confused.

"He drugged you Harry, with his own little creation; you know how he enjoys his Potions." He waved the thought away. "He let me use you as I saw fit, which is why I am not so "eager" to jump your bones at the present time. Let's say I've already sampled you."

The shocked boy stared at the Slytherin who could spout such crude words and still remain so nonchalant about it. He couldn't possibly be serious.

"You expect me to believe you?" He breathed.

Lucius shook his head endearingly. "No Harry, I know you believe me already. Don't you remember your little episode that got you sent to Madam Pompfrey?"

_No._ Unwillingly the images began floating up from his subconscious. He _did_ know, he remembered. _No, please, Severus wouldn't do something so horrible._

"It was _you_." Harry quivered. "It was your voice that I heard… I remember." His hand flew to his mouth. _I'm going to be sick, I really – no, I can't even think it, it's too disgusting._

An out of place smile spread across Lucius' smug face. "Remembering the fond times between us?"

"You disgusting _pig_!" Harry cried. "You used me! You fucking _used_ me when I had no idea what I was doing!"

"I'm in Slytherin for a reason." He pointed out with a sneer.

Harry weakly slid to his knees. "You bastard." He whispered. "Both of you are fucking bastards." His head remained bowed submissively.

"Yes, yes, poor Harry was used and abused." Lucius mocked. "I shed tears for your misfortune. Really Potter, suck it up, it's over and done with."

The blonde sighed and turned toward the bedroom with a languid stretch and pop of his muscles. He grew tired of such trivial discussions.

"Since you refuse to willingly obey, you will remain out here." Lucius indicated the couches. "But mark my words Potter, the Dark Lord _will_ have you." He smiled sweetly. "Sweet dreams."

--- --- ---

Silence permeated the room, save for the soft crackle and pop of the dying fire. Emerald orbs glared into the wispy flicks of red and orange.

He had to get out.

_Thud._

"Shit." The whispered curse was spat. _Ouch, that hurt._

Harry struggled to lift himself from the heavy sprawl he had fallen in, it was a slight distance from the couch, but it still smarted. His leg ached with the movement, still sore from the silver that had pierced it.

"I'm going to kill Malfoy." He hissed. If he didn't have such loyalty to his House he probably would have told someone about this little "incident".

_No use in getting that prick in trouble, like Severus said, he would ruin my reputation in a heartbeat._

He managed to raise himself and hopped awkwardly on one foot as he struggled to keep his weight off his injured limb. Harry panted angrily, face drawn up in a grimace of pained rage. Malfoy wouldn't get away with this. He would make sure of it. Carefully he turned and limped with agonizing slowness toward the door, the first thing he had to do was get out of there.

The door loomed ahead of him, foreboding and promising in the same moment. If he made it back to his own dorm he could probably make it through the night. Staying here was definitely suicide and _not_ on his list of things to do.

_Bloody hell this stings._ He winced as he accidentally put too much weight on his wounded leg. _I'm going to be in a right mess tomorrow morning unless I heal this soon, I don't want it getting infected._

"_Tergio_." He whispered, twitching as the wound was cleaned. _That'll have to do for now._

He was utterly stupid, only after Lucius had left had Harry found his wand trapped within his robes. He was furious at the thought that he could have stopped all of this from happening. But now was not the time to dwell on the stupidity of third year Slytherins, he had his wand now; it made things easier on his part.

Harry hobbled the remaining distance to the door with determination. _Yes!_ He inwardly cheered. Freedom was so close he could literally touch it. He reached out and grasped the knob with a quick twist.

Instantly an unpleasant jolt shocked through his fingers and arm. He clamped down hard on his tongue to hold back his yelp of pain, it had been close. He had a moment of confusion before his eyes widened in realization and then narrowed irritably.

_Fuck! It figures Malfoy would have Stealth Sensoring Spells on his room!_ Harry swiveled toward the ajar door leading to the bedroom. _Please let him be a heavy sleeper. _

Without hesitating longer then was necessary, Harry leapt back into motion and ignored the sharp twinges running the length of his arm, forcing his own magic into the lock. He had to get that damned door to _open_.

"Yes!" He hissed as the knob finally gave out and turned. _Freedom, here I come._

He glanced over his shoulder once more before he left and hissed toward Lucius' door with a wave of his wand.

Tomorrow it would begin.

* * *

AN: Sorry Lucius fans, I luv him too, but it had to be done. We couldn't have Harry falling for him; this is sadly not LM/HP, which I do enjoy. Eh, so on with the evilness.

-Red


	27. Bad Hair And Words Of Wisdom

The Infirmary was _not_ a happy place the next morning. The raging seventh year Slytherin had stormed into the room with sparks shooting out of his wand as he glared at anything that stepped into his path.

So of course Madam Pomfrey had treated him as any other crazed patient.

"May I help you Mr. Malfoy?"

Grey eyes widened, bloodshot and twitching. "Help me?" He repeated, as though he couldn't believe he had heard such words.

The witch nodded. "Yes Mr. Malfoy, why are you here? Is there something wrong?"

"Why do you _think_ I'm here?" Lucius hissed angrily.

Madam Pompfrey stared at him for a silent moment. "I see nothing unusual."

The blonde, though it was hardly noticeable at the moment, clenched his fists. "I need a potion, whatever _curse_ I am afflicted with does not have counter-curse or else I would not waste my time coming to _you_. I _refuse_ to go to class this way."

"I don't think I will be able to help you." Madam Pomfrey bustled away and began to rearrange her stock of potions.

Lucius was _not_ a happy camper.

"This is an _outrage_! The Minister will be hearing about this, mark my words!" Lucius roared. "You are required by _law_ to supply the students of Hogwarts with medical attention during emergencies!"

"I'm _sorry_ Mr. Malfoy, but I do not consider a "bad hair day" an emergency." Madam Pomfrey turned away from the fuming wizard.

Lucius gaped uncharacteristically in his rage. "_Bad hair day_?" He demanded shrilly. "This is _not_ a bad hair day!" He viciously stabbed at himself. "This is a heinous _attack_ against the Malfoy name!"

He did have a point though, his new look was _very_ distracting to his peers. Not only was his normally luscious blonde hair dyed a clashing muddy brown, but his more… _intimate_ attributes had changed as well.

He had woken up to find himself with a swollen chest and a _lack_ of swelling in his pants.

Malfoy had been turned into a _girl_.

Though he was a very pretty girl if any were to give their opinion, what with his rosy cheeks and pouting lips. Not to mention his bust!

_Very_ distracting. Though perhaps distracting wasn't the right word to use… because really, he was every male's wet dream come true.

The nurse scoffed at his behavior. "A simple potion will remedy your little problem." She informed drolly.

The blonde rearranged his robes and straightened, lifting his head primly in expectance. "Give it here then."

"Give you what?"

"The potion!" Lucius snapped. "Give me the damned potion so that I may leave your infernal presence!"

Madam Pomfrey sniffed. "You're lucky I don't tell your Head of House about that wagging tongue of yours. I'll excuse your tone because of your lineage; I know how much one's appearance means to you Malfoys."

"And the potion?" He hissed, clenching his fist.

She smiled.

"We're out."

His eyes widened. "_Bloody_ – " He stopped and glared instead. "_Wait_ until my _father_ hears about this!"

"If that is _all_ Mr. Malfoy, I bid you a good day." The woman nodded toward the door sternly.

"You'll regret ever – "

"_Good day_ Mr. Malfoy." She turned a strict eye and pointedly looked toward the exit once more.

Lucius grumbled under his breath as he left the Infirmary, someone was going to pay for this humiliation. He had a fairly good idea who exactly had hexed him, seeing as Harry had been missing when he woke. He wasn't sure how the third year had done it, but he had escaped, and now Lucius couldn't find him.

He would though; he would find that brat and teach him a lesson. _No_ one hexed a Malfoy without paying the repercussions.

No one.

--- --- ---

"Is he gone?"

Madam Pomfrey turned with a gentle smile. "Yes dear, the great brute has left."

Harry peeked around the divider to make sure her words rang true and then stepped into the open. "Thanks." He flushed. "I don't know what I would've done if he had seen me."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" The woman asked with concern.

A quick grin reassured her. "I'll be fine, like I said; we got into a bit of a tussle, that's all." He shrugged. "My leg's okay now, so there's no need to tattle and lose points from my own House."

"If you are positive." She agreed reluctantly.

"I am." Harry nodded. "Thanks again Madam Pomfrey." He waved as he allowed the doors to swing shut behind him.

_Now that that's been taken care of, it's time to begin the hexing spree._

Harry narrowed his gaze as he walked toward the Great Hall.

_Time to be a Slytherin Severus would be proud of._

--- --- ---

The Great Hall's doors slammed open when Harry strode in, robes flying, and glaring at any who dare make eye contact with him. No one took much notice except for the few curious heads that were always pointed in that direction, ready for gossip.

Harry glanced toward the Slytherin table, nonchalant as he continued past and onward to the Gryffindors. Lily smiled as he stepped up beside her, mouth etched into a grim line.

"Are you alright?" She whispered under her breath as the Marauders took notice of him.

"Never better." He replied tensely, he could do this.

"Morning mini James, what brings you to our neck of the woods?" Sirius greeted him.

Remus nodded distractedly. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly. "After last night …"

Harry waved him off. "I'm fine, all in one piece." He shrugged his shoulders.

"T-that's good." Peter spoke up. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

The Slytherin glared at the boy. _You weren't even there to witness it you fool, don't give me your pity._

James remained silent during all of this.

"Oi Potter, why don't you ever spend time with your girlfriend anymore?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows suggestively as he looked from Lily to the younger teen. "Someone might come along and steal her from under your nose, she's quite the catch."

Harry smiled humorlessly. "Very funny Black, and I choose not to because I feel like being away from you lot." He informed coolly.

"_Excuse_ me?" James leaned forward on his elbows, finally speaking.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot that you Gryffindors talk in grunts and whistles." Harry inclined his head. "I said that I didn't want to taint myself by being in your presence."

Remus looked between the two worriedly, knowing with no doubt that the situation was going to escalate into a fight.

James remained oblivious.

"Do you want to get hexed?" He growled.

"When a worthy opponent presents themselves." Harry shrugged. "Oh! You meant yourself! Sorry James, but I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"Outside. Now." James glowered.

"Boys." Lily warned.

Harry smiled, eyes flashing. "Sure."

"Harry!" The witch gasped. "What are you doing?"

He waved her off with a confident nod and their mismatched group filed into the corridor beyond the Great Hall, leaving Peter and Lily watching worriedly as the doors shut.

"Who shoved a stick up _your_ arse Harry? What's with the sudden attitude?" James spoke as they found a silent corner.

The Slytherin's mood shifted quickly. "Yesterday." He raised a brow. "Do you remember what happened to me? What you _allowed_ to happen to me?"

Sirius frowned from beside Remus. "I thought you said nothing happened."

Harry ignored him and fingered the wand that suddenly appeared in his hand. "I never said that, I said that I was still in one piece." He turned to his brother. "I've taken care of that little problem though, now I'm moving up the list."

"Are you threatening me?" James stared hard at the younger.

"I thought you had my back James, what happened yesterday?" Harry twirled his wand, bypassing the previous question.

The hazel eyed Gryffindor watched warily. "You must not have been at the same place I was, because if you were, you would know that I _did_ try to save your hide."

Sirius nudged his Housemate. "It's not as though Malfoy could do anything _too_ horrible to you anyway, or believe me we would have made sure you didn't get up on that damned stage in the first place."

"He _didn't_ do anything did he?" James' eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Harry halted his movement with the wand and slowly crossed his arms. "So _now_ you care about what happens to me?" He scoffed. "I can hold my own, and protect myself _Gryffindor_, so don't shed any tears on my behalf."

"Harry! Why are you acting this way?" James demanded.

A cool gaze bore into the taller wizard. "I've finally learned not to trust anyone, _everyone's_ out for themselves, and they always want something in the end."

"I'm your brother, what could I possibly want from you?" He demanded.

"James – " Remus warned hesitantly.

Harry held out his hand to stop the werewolf. "No, let him have his say, Merlin knows when I'll be in such a good mood again." He smiled grimly. "Best to get it all out now."

James glared heatedly. "So now you two have something going on behind my back?" He growled. "You're a Gryffindor Remus, remember that."

Sirius scowled. "Lay off Prongs, he's just talking to the bloke."

The elder Potter whirled on his friend. "Don't tell me what to do Sirius, I'm _tired_ of Harry acting like this and giving me shit." He turned back toward his sibling. "He needs to be taught a lesson in respect."

"Are you going to be the one to teach me Jamie boy?" Harry cocked an inquiring brow. "Are you going to put me in my place? Are you going to be like Snape and Malfoy?" His voice darkened.

"I knew they did something to you!" James snarled. "I swear when I get my – "

"What are you going to do? Hex them?" Harry sneered. "It seems that's the best you Gryffindors can do, hex and run."

"That's _it_!" James stomped. "Here and now Harry, we're going to settle this."

Harry smirked. "I'm game."

James growled angrily. "You'd better watch yourself Harry." He warned. "I'll end up hurting you since I know more curses then you do, it's as simple as that."

The Slytherin laughed. "Me?" He waved a finger in his brother's direction. "Thanks for the advice, but I'd watch my own back if I were you."

"I'm not scared of – " James began to step forward.

Harry flicked his wand up sharply and hissed.

The Marauders flinched in expectance as James froze with the spell. Everything seemed intact and he wasn't spouting curses….

Sirius watched curiously. "What did he do?"

"I'm…not sure." Remus whispered. "I didn't even hear the spell being cast."

James scowled unhappily and opened his mouth to continue.

"I love Severus Snape."

He blinked and snapped his mouth shut quickly, eyes widening in horror. Sirius and Remus stared in shock, too surprised to move.

Harry chuckled darkly. "A simple spell really, if you know where to look." He informed as though they had asked.

James grimaced and began to lash out.

"James Potter is a prat." He fumed and tried again. "I want Severus to have my love child."

Remus muffled his laughter as he stepped behind his boyfriend in case James got any ideas. "Things are beginning to make sense now." His lips tugged into a reluctant smile.

"Well I'm glad you can laugh at this." Sirius said worriedly. "What the hell happened?"

The Slytherin shrugged. "He speaks a few of my thoughts, the ones I want him to say."

Sirius' eyes widened. "That's – "

"I'll see you boys later." Harry chuckled as a large scroll of names suddenly appeared in front of him; he crossed off a name near the top. "As you can see, I have more people to take care of."

He turned, leaving the Gryffindors no chance to interrogate him for the counter-spell.

_So far so good._ He looked at the scroll still in his hands. _Next up is Mia, this ought to be fun._

* * *

AN: Does anyone have good ideas for pranks? I'm drawing a blank at the moment, and I need revenge stuff. :_laughs_: I've gone as far as asking the little kids at work for ideas of revenge.

-Red


	28. Just Kiss Her

AN: This is kind of a "filler" or whatever, I needed to get rid of the "baggage" AKA, Lily! I don't remember what happens; I wrote this a while ago…I didn't plan to put it here but oh well!

* * *

Two weeks passed with little success and Harry was beginning to show the characteristics of depression and exhaustion, not the best combination. It equaled a massive headache and worry from those around him.

Lily was by far the worse, the reason he found himself sitting beside the evening fire, locked away in Gryffindor Tower. His "girlfriend" had sat him down on one of the fluffy couches Harry had come to enjoy, and then simple leaned back and _waited_.

Harry wasn't about to give in anytime soon. There was nothing to discuss in his opinion. _I won't be the one to speak._ He picked at a piece of fuzz on his dark sleeve. _If she wants to talk so bad then she will._

They still would have been waiting if the witch hadn't taken control of their conversation, or lack of one.

"We have to tell him Harry." She finally broke his stubborn silence.

His ruffled head shot up, messy locks spilling into his shocked face. "What?" He demanded.

"You heard me." She replied coolly. "I don't know how long you expect to go on the way you are, but I'm tired of it."

"There's nothing wrong with me." Harry glared at the lush carpet beneath his socked feet.

The redhead scoffed incredulously. "You're wasting away Harry, whatever it is you're doing, it's not working." She chastised, having been told of Harry's plans of revenge.

"I need time." He argued, flushing guiltily because in reality, he hadn't made any move of revenge toward Mia quite yet.

"You've _had_ time, Severus is a stubborn person, he's not going to give in anytime soon. And this girl isn't going to let go of him, I know how women work Harry, she's found her prize." Her eyes lit with pleasure. "Unless you have help with your plans."

Harry watched her warily. "You're willing to help me." He repeated dubiously.

Lily held up a finger. "_Only_ if you tell your brother about our secret agenda."

"You know I can't." Harry pleaded. "You didn't see how he reacted the first time, I was there when he hexed Severus. I don't want to go through that again."

She sighed regrettably. "I'm sorry Harry, but this is something I need to do."

"Lily, don't do – "

"Potter, come here for a second. We need to chat." She called toward the group of Marauders surrounding an antique chessboard.

A similar dark head shot up at Lily's voice and Harry grimaced as James smiled brightly and shifted towards them. The Gryffindor's smile grew tense as he saw Harry scrunched down against the couch, previously hidden.

He inclined his head and draped himself on an armchair a few feet away. "Lily."

"There's something Harry and I must tell you James, and I know for a fact you will _not_ be pleased to say the least."

A worried frown creased at James brow and he sat up. "What's happened?"

Harry growled and tugged at Lily's sleeve. "Lily, _don't_." He hissed under his breath.

"No Harry," she turned a vicious glare onto his older sibling. "I refuse to continue this lie. It's breaking you, and if your brother can't see that then he doesn't deserve you."

Any retort James could have spat was silenced as he took the time to actually look at Harry. His eyes slowly widened as he took in the slight bags under the dull orbs of jade, once a vibrant emerald. The boy looked tired and defeated, as though he had finally given up any fight he had once harbored in his fiery heart.

"Merlin, Harry I'm sorry." He whispered, leaning forward with an outstretched hand. "What's happened to you?"

Harry flinched away, his movement sluggish. His gaze was reproachful as he looked at James. "I hate you." He whispered.

"What?" James inhaled sharply, snapping back his hand to his chest.

"I hate you." Harry repeated in a tired murmur. "I won't forgive you until everything is right again, I _can't_ forgive you until I have Severus back." He might as well get everything off his chest now, while Lily was there to help him.

"Harry, Snape isn't – " James began heatedly.

A halting hand was raised. "I can decide who is right or wrong myself." Harry murmured.

Lily nodded beside him, crossing her arms. "Harry's a growing boy James, this is the time for him to make decisions or mistakes, it is the time for him to learn. Why won't you let him experience what life has to offer?"

"I don't want him to get hurt." James muttered. "I've tried so hard to protect him, and then in an instant, all my hard work goes down the drain and he ends up with the biggest arse of them all."

"Well I wouldn't say that." Lily smiled. "Lucius is a bit worse."

James scowled. "I'm being serious."

"I know you are, which is why I said it." She replied lightly. "Harry's right when he says it James, you're taking his life and trying to twist it into something _you_ would like."

"What are you – "

"Sticking me with Lily?" Harry cocked a brow, something he had learned from Severus. "That was a bit over the top if I do say so myself, I never expected you to give me away to your sweetheart."

A flush colored the Gryffindor's cheeks. "I trust Lily, that's the only reason why I did it." He looked away.

"Of course, even though you had the same opportunity to have Remus and Sirius keep an eye on me."

"Those two lechers?" James choked. "Sirius would have you bedded the same night!"

Lily smiled. "The point is we're tired of pretending James." She moved forward and placed a warm hand on his thigh and squeezed. "Harry and I need to go our separate ways."

"But – "

He was silenced again as Lily placed her lips against his protesting mouth. His eyes flew open to their widest extent, pupils dilated to their max. There was silence as they melted into and against each other, finally their pent up lust and love was released and they moaned.

_This is the start of a beautiful relationship._ Harry smirked as he glanced away. The conversation with his brother didn't go as badly as he had first thought it would, at least he wasn't still sore about the little hex that had had him spouting Harry's thoughts.

He curiously turned toward the Marauders in question and grinned as he spied their gobsmacked expressions. Seems they didn't expect such a turn of events either, at least he wasn't the only surprised one.

But time was being wasted, now that his charade with Lily was put to rest, he could focus on his prey. Severus was his and his alone. _No_ _one_ would stand in his way.

He would make sure Mia learned her lesson.

* * *

AN: Looks like Harry's out for blood! Eh, we'll see, the next chap's halfway finished and filled with pranks. Thank u to all who gave me ideas!

-Red


	29. Revenge Is Sweet & So R Kisses

AN: 400 :_dances_: yay! Here's a quick update 'cus I luv u all!

* * *

Potions was not an enjoyable subject, this was a fact that Harry had come to know and understand. That didn't mean he didn't have to _attend_ though, Filch made sure that, prowling the halls with his stupid furball. If someone were to ask Harry about it, he would hedge at bestiality, because really, who hangs out with their cat all day!

He guiltily stroked his own companion. Snakes, in his opinion were a far cry from cats though, so it was alright if he carried his Runespoor with him wherever he went. It wasn't as though he had conversations with it!

"_I'm hungry._" Dreamer's voice rose from his collar, he felt a tiny tongue flicker at his skin. "_Let's have lunch._"

"_I really wish we could, but it's time for class right now._" Harry sighed heavily, sinking a bit lower in his chair.

Critic scoffed with a thick hiss. "_Maybe if you didn't eat so much we wouldn't have to be dragged around everywhere, Master could leave us in the dorm._"

"_So he accidentally ate an assignment, it was after it had been Transfigured into a dormouse, you can't really blame him._" Planner pointed out snippily.

Harry cleared his throat loudly to cover up the hissing coming from his neck. "_Can you three please be quiet until we get out of class?_"

"_Oh, the great Harry Potter doesn't want to listen to his lowly Runespoor, we're just three brains too much, is that it Master?_" Critic asked sarcastically.

"_Just be quiet._" Harry pushed the tiny head deeper beneath his collar.

_I really have to "thank" Lucius for his gift, maybe I should teach him another lesson._ He mused with an amused smile.

He lazily tapped his wand on the worn desk he was leaning on; Slughorn was being a bore as usual, couldn't the man teach _anything_ that wouldn't put people to _sleep_? The only lesson planned for that day had been note taking, and Harry was nowhere _near_ bored enough to actually do his work.

_Argh, this is so boring._ His eyes lidded sleepily.

A tiny spark shot out of his wand as he tapped it again. He slowly sat up, staring at the glowing tip. _Hm…_

He looked up and found Mia at the front of class, working diligently on her notes and writing down every word. He grinned and shifted the point of his wand in her direction, silent laughter shaking his shoulders.

_I bet the Gryffindors will get a kick out of this._ He sniggered.

_Tip. Tip._ _Tip._ He tapped three times in quick session and watched as the sparks shot in the girl's direction. The purple glow infused across her back, flashing its message.

_Slut_.

It flashed again and a few heads turned toward the movement.

_Whore_.

Scattered chuckles rose from around the oblivious witch and Harry smirked.

_Cheat_.

The whispers finally caught the girl's attention and she turned suspiciously, glaring at Harry first and then those around her.

Harry waved and blew a mocking kiss. _Enjoy_ _your peace while you still can._ He smirked as she looked away again.

He sat in silence for the rest of the class, watching Mia's robes flash new discriminating messages.

_Bitch_.

_Poser_.

Finally it was time to switch classes and Harry remained seated as the rest of the students gratefully rose and gathered their belongings as quickly as they could.

Mia was one of the first to head to the door, surrounded by her friends; Harry chuckled darkly as he waved his wand toward the retreating figure. Mia was going to pay. "_Lacarnum_ _Inflamarae_."

A screech from the gaggle of girls sounded out and everyone turned toward the commotion. _Apparently_ the edge of Mia's robes had suddenly caught fire. Of course fingers would be pointed and curses cast, but at the moment someone bumped into the flailing figure, knocking the petite girl onto the stone floor.

"_Flipendo_!" He whispered with a jerk of his wand.

A jar from the top shelf wobbled and slowly tipped over, falling atop the girl's dark head and spilling its contents.

Which just happened to be spiders.

The joys of revenge.

If Mia had been screaming before, she was imitating a Banshee now. She jerked to her feet and frantically brushed at her robes, eyes tearing up as she hyperventilated in fear.

It wasn't Harry's fault that she suffered from arachnophobia; the witch should really learn when to keep her mouth shut. Harry scoffed silently as she continued to flail; telling your friends your weaknesses was not something a Slytherin would do, and the information had been easy enough to attain.

"_That wasn't very nice._" Planner hissed as he curiously peeked a head out.

"_She deserves every second._" Harry slowly gathered his belongings as Slughorn finally seemed to realize something was amiss and went to aid the girl.

The screeching of the girls dwindled and the room echoed with silence.

A sniffle and a scuff of shoe were the only things to break the false calm as Mia's friends helped her up, after making sure the spiders were gone of course, friendship only ran so deep.

"Mia, your eyes!" One of the girls suddenly screeched and violently pulled away from the arm she had been holding.

Mia's eyes widened. "What?"

"T-they're black!" Her friend gasped. "What happened?"

"What!" Mia's hands flew to her face, touching her cheeks and eyelids in panic, trying to find the hidden blemish.

Whispers began to surround the Slytherin witch and she hunched forward in fear, everything was going terribly wrong.

Harry chose that moment to walk by and did so calmly, not making eye contact with anyone and staying unnoticed. This was why later on, if questioned, the students watching Mia would defend Harry against any accusation she made toward him.

"Better luck next time, bitch." Harry whispered as he walked past, lips barely moving in the dully lit Potions room.

Mia's head flew up, eyes wide and searching.

"_You_!" She angrily threw down her bag, sending quills and ink pots skittering across the floor. "You did this!"

The crowd looked around and saw no one, the whispers pitched as they began walking away, labeling the girl crazy and moving on.

"Don't leave!" Mia screamed, stamping her foot.

At least she would have if it wasn't stuck to the ground. The witch looked down in horror and saw a thick, yellowish goo covering her shoes and effectively gluing her to the stones of the floor.

"Potter!"

--- --- ---

Harry smirked as he heard the echo of a shout; undoubtedly Mia had found his little surprise. He didn't have time to savor the feeling of his victory though; he was now moving on to his next project.

Severus.

The very wizard who just so happened to be waiting in a hidden alcove a little ways down the corridor from the Potions classroom, probably waiting for Mia. Harry suppressed a growl as he slowly pulled off his robe and he walked down the hall, eyes set on his prey, he would make sure to show Severus what he was missing.

"Severus, fancy meeting you here." Harry eyed the taller wizard as he halted beside the shadowed youth. "I haven't seen you since you left me for that slut."

"You're looking as bright as ever." Severus commented, discretely eyeing the material of the boy's clothes, if they could even be called that.

He smirked and lightly slapped his leather clad arse. "Nice isn't it? I think it brings out the silver of my hair." Harry purred as he trailed his hands across his chest alluringly. "Want to touch?"

Snape looked away. "I'm already taken."

Harry nodded with a calculating look. "Mm hm, you make me believe you too with that cold exterior." He tugged at the collar wrapped snuggly around his throat, the Runespoor flicking at his fingers with tiny tongues. "Are you sure you don't want to play with me? I promise your little bitch is otherwise occupied."

"Up to your old tricks then Potter? I had thought better of you then petty revenge."

"Oh it's anything but petty Severus, you know that." He hummed as he licked his lips sensuously. "I don't like it when people play with my belongings, and you most definitely belong to me."

"You think so?" Severus arched a questioning brow. "Even after everything I have done to halt your advances?"

"I can forgive you for the time you drugged me, and I can forgive you for that stupid Polyjuice incident, I can even forgive you for your little crush on Lily." Harry's eyes narrowed. "What I refuse to accept though, is the fact that you chose that _whore_ to replace me. Have you no class Severus? No taste in women?"

Severus growled as he stepped forward. "Don't speak of her that way."

Harry held up his hands with a smirk. "I'm just stating the facts, love."

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Severus scowled, backing away.

"Wrong with me?" Harry repeated with a laugh. "Nothing Severus, I've just finally realized something."

"And that is?"

Harry smiled. "That you're gay."

"What!" Severus roared, cheeks flushing in his rage.

"Oh yes, but it took me a while to realize this you see." Harry grinned eagerly. "What you must know first is that I watch _everyone_, through my few years here at Hogwarts I've always been a prankster, I have James as an older brother after all. And don't take this the wrong way, but you've always interested me."

Severus glowered darkly; he had stopped actually caring when Harry had accused him of being a pouf. "How did you come to this conclusion?" He growled.

"Well, besides the fact that you've never dated anyone – "

"I like Evans." He managed to say it firmly, a light pink staining his cheeks.

"You're a nice looking bloke, not beautiful, but interesting. Now _why_ would a nice bloke such as yourself not ever date anyone?" Harry continued.

"I like _Evans_." Severus snarled, he was _not_ going to be ignored.

"Why not? I suppose it seems plausible, if he wasn't interested in anyone of the opposite sex." Harry wagged a finger in the wizard's direction. "You almost had me too, when you so blatantly denied being homosexual. But it's always the ones who deny it the most vehemently that end up being closet cases."

"_I_ like _Evans_!"

Harry nodded. "You poor confused soul, lying to yourself and holding this silly crush on Lily. Why would you want her when you could have _me_?" He breathed, slinking closer and running a tempting finger down the front of Severus' robes. "You're so tense Severus."

"Y-you – "

"I'm glad I have such an affect on you." His eyes lidded in pleasure. "I'm going to kiss you now."

He leaned forward slowly, so as not to scare the elder away. Their lips pressed together gently, Harry cupping the back of Severus' neck and pulling his face closer. A soft moan was quickly followed by a darting tongue and massaging lips as Harry tried to prove to Severus how much he cared.

Both were lost in their embrace, neither caring what happened around them, only feeling.

It was like coming home and Severus allowed his hands to drift up and tangle in Harry's smooth locks, touching each silver strand and feeling soft jolts of magic race through him.

Why had he avoided this for so long? So what if he was a pouf? So what if it was Harry who had shown him the truth? He was…happy now. He deserved happiness too; he wasn't evil to the core like some of the other Slytherins.

He could…love.

Severus' eyes flew open at that stray thought and viciously pulled away, wiping his mouth with his sleeve as he stared at the ground loathingly.

Why had he given in again?

"I have to go." He whispered hoarsely.

--- --- ---

Harry shifted into his robes as he watched Severus leave, smiling to himself in triumph, he would have to tell Lily of his success.

"_That was nice._" Dreamer nodded his head lazily, snuggling into the warmth of Harry's neck.

"_It was_." Harry readily agreed, feeling elated.

"Potter!"

He turned toward Sirius, for that was who it was; he remained silent and waited for the Gryffindor to catch up with him.

"Yes?" He inquired politely, inwardly scowling; he didn't want to deal with overprotective Gryffindors at the moment.

"Were you just talking to _Snape_?" His eyes narrowed icily.

_Do you think you're my keeper?_ "Maybe I was, I don't see how it's any of your business."

"I thought James and I made it clear that Snivellus is not worth your time Harry." Sirius frowned.

Harry glared upward and crossed his arms over his chest. "Next time I need your advice I'll be sure to ask." He stepped forward, sliding out his wand from his sleeve. "But until then, stay out of my business."

"Are you trying to start a fight Potter?" Padfoot asked softly, face drawn up and closed.

Harry stabbed his wand at the Gryffindor with a sneer. "I think it's time to pay your dues Black, I might not get another opportunity such as this."

"What are you on about Potter?" Sirius frowned, taking a step closer.

"You've made the past month a living hell for me." Harry growled. "An eye for an eye I say."

Sirius reached out a hesitant hand. "Now Harry, think about what you're – "

"_Serpens_ _ab Aquatilis_!"

Both stared at the end of Harry's wand as a writhing form of water slowly slid from its entrapment. With a wet sort of splash it landed on the ground between them and rose up with a watery hiss. Harry looked toward Sirius with a dark grin as he motioned for his newly birthed water snake to move forward.

"What the bloody hell is _that_!" Sirius hurriedly tugged his wand out of his tangled robes as his face paled.

"Snake of living water." Harry murmured silently. "It's a very simple spell…if you're in Slytherin." His eyes flashed.

Sirius slowly backed away, intent on running if he had to, he did _not_ like snakes.

"Where are you going Black?" Harry stood still, arms hanging loosely at his sides, appearing innocent.

The Gryffindor stumbled and fell onto his arse. "You can't possibly expect to control that thing! Get rid of it before it attacks!"

"But that's the point." Harry's voice had a childish lilt to it. "_Attack him_." He hissed lowly.

Sirius tried to scream as the watery form shot toward him, but his voice was cut short as the thick body of the snake sloshed into his mouth and silenced him.

He struggled to breathe, grimacing in pain as his mouth worked in a silent scream, the snake burrowed itself deeper into his throat, slowly filling Sirius' lungs with water and drowning him.

Harry watched on passively.

"_Master, someone is coming._" Planner hissed warningly.

The Slytherin nodded and with a last glance at the wildly kicking body, left.

--- --- ---

Remus frowned thoughtfully as he skimmed through the words in his book. He would never truly understand the workings of the world, but it was so _amazing_!

_Thump!_

He glanced up in confusion; he could have sworn he had heard something…

_Thump!_

"What the hell?" He murmured as he rounded the corner.

His book dropped to the floor as he caught sight of the struggling figure before him.

_Sirius!_ He ran forward, book forgotten. _Merlin, it looks like he's not breathing!_

"_Anapeo_!" Remus hurriedly waved his wand, dispelling the cursed water from Sirius' windpipe.

Sirius inhaled deeply, choking and spluttering as he winced with each heave of his chest.

Remus dropped to his knees and helped Sirius sit up, his hands quaking in his fear. "What happened, who did this to you?"

"F-fucking P-potter." Sirius hiccupped, cheeks flushed and eyes glazed.

"James?" The werewolf reeled in shock, tugging his boyfriend closer to his chest.

The bowed head was shaken sluggishly. "Harry." Sirius looked up, a pained expression on his face. "Merlin, my chest hurts now."

The werewolf chuckled nervously, hands still shaking. "You're lucky it's just that, if I hadn't come sooner… " He trailed off.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be sitting here right now." Sirius agreed weakly, leaning back into the tense embrace.

Remus slowly stood, taking the heavy body with him in his upward motion. "Come, I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey and then I'll go have a talk with Harry."

Sirius nodded groggily, putting most of his weight on the slighter body. "Hey Moony?"

"Yes?" Remus began guiding them forward.

"_Please_ don't tell anyone I got my arse kicked by a third year."

--- --- ---

"You're taking this too far Harry."

Harry slowly looked up at the shadow towering over his studying area. "Excuse me?"

Remus growled and sat stiffly across from the boy. "You know damn well what I'm talking about." He murmured so that they wouldn't be heard. "What you did to Sirius was wrong, he could have _died_!"

"He didn't though." Harry pointed out calmly, turning the page of his book carelessly. "You got to him in time Moony, did you not?"

"You waited for me to come." Remus said more to himself then Harry as he realized the fact. "Why?"

The Slytherin stretched and smiled as he leaned back in his chair. "Contrary to popular belief, I don't want anyone seriously hurt." He glanced over his shoulder suspiciously. "I knew you would be walking down that corridor at that moment, so I cast the spell and left."

"What if I hadn't gone that way today?" Remus pressed. "What if no one had found Sirius in time?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't bother myself with 'what ifs', if something is planned correctly it will have no flaws."

"Why are you doing this Harry?"

A hiss of breath was the only warning Remus had before he found Harry in his face, the wizard having leaned cross the table. "What do you _think_ my reasoning is Remus?" Harry whispered dangerously, eye twitching slightly. "They will all _pay_ for disrupting my life and trying to push me into the mold that _they_ want."

Remus shook his head desperately. "You can't possibly punish them for that! They don't do it to hurt you; they're trying to do what's best!"

"So am I."

Harry pushed away from the table and stood, hands flat on the cool surface. He stared down at his brother's friend.

"Don't get in my way Remus; I don't want to hurt you."

He turned away and left the Gryffindor to his silence.

* * *

AN: Here's for all who wanted to see Sev again, 'cus really, where has he _been? _:_cough_:jackingoffinthecorner:_cough_: er…yeah. Eh, Harry was a bit violent in this chap, sheesh, talk about overdoing it.

-Red


	30. Winners And Losers

"You win."

Harry glanced up slowly, wary of the voice and speaker. He was somewhat safe in the library, but he never knew what the witch would do, even if there _were_ witnesses.

"What?"

Mia glared icily. "You _win_, Potter." She waved her hand as though he were an annoying fly. "I don't have time to waste on some petty rivalry, plus you're starting to grate on my nerves."

"So you're giving up just like that?" Harry asked dubiously. "You'll back off and let me handle Severus?"

"Yes." She hissed. "Besides, I've found myself another boyfriend, one who isn't _confused_ about his sexuality."

He frowned; irritated that she had thrown Severus to the side so casually. "Who?"

The witch sniffed haughtily, as any Slytherin would do in the same situation. "He's in Ravenclaw if you must know, _very_ smart of course, and handsome to boot."

Harry raised a curious brow despite himself. "And does this gorgeous catch have a name?" He prodded.

"Like I would tell _you_." Mia scowled. "You'll just try and steal him!"

"I'm not you Miyake." Harry deadpanned. _Plus Ravenclaws are so not my type. Tall, dark and mysterious thank you very much!_

The girl turned away. "Fine, it's Chang, though why I'm telling you I wonder."

A perplexed expression painted Harry's face. "As in Jin Chang?"

"Yes, so you've heard of him?" She grinned leeringly, an attempt to make him jealous. "He's the Ravenclaw seeker you know."

"Mm, yes." He shrugged. "But Severus is a _much_ better catch in my opinion."

"Take him then." Mia sniffed. "I only admired him because of his skill in Potions, his looks are somewhat lacking."

Harry growled and flicked his wand angrily, suddenly hovering over the witch with a menacing glare.

"Take that back!"

Dark eyes widened. "You can't possibly tell me you actually _like _him! He's absolutely horrid, have you _seen_ his hair?"

"Take. It. Back." Harry moved forward. "Not all of us are as shallow as you, Severus is wonderful and I won't have anyone talking bad about him."

She sneered. "Fine Potter, _whatever_. If you want to have an ugly git as a lover then be my guest, but when the rumors start flying, you'll be the one to blame." She turned away from him as the whispered hex left his lips.

A strange tingle raced up her spine and she turned accusingly toward Harry, who merely smirked and turned his attention away.

"Stupid Potter, can't even cast a correct spell." She muttered as she found nothing off about her body, she glanced over her shoulder. "And by the way, I _will_ get you back for hexing me."

"I'm looking forward to it." Harry didn't glance up from his book.

Mia scowled at the lack of fear. _Just watch Potter, you'll see how much damage I can do to your little reputation._ She huffily left the library, book bag swinging on her arm.

A few students walked past her and snickered quietly in their haste. Harry smirked silently to himself as he turned to a picture of a Dragon torching a Basilisk, the images dancing in a dangerous game across the pages.

If Mia took the time to stop and check her reflection she would find a jade face staring back. The color of envy, in Harry's opinion, suited her nicely. There was also a high chance that no one would tell her of her predicament, she didn't have the reputation of being a goody goody after all.

He chuckled; he was having fun pretending to be a perfect Slytherin.

--- --- ---

"How dare you!"

Harry found himself angrily pushed against the wall as he was walking the corridors – having just left the library – the edge of a portrait dug into his spine as he scrambled for balance. He winced and stared up at his attacker, calmly though, already recognizing the tapered fingers clenched around his wrist.

"You know Severus; I told you I liked your hair better when it was tied up." Harry smiled, ignoring the seriousness of the situation. "Though you do look rather dashing when you're all riled up, your cheeks are flushed and your hair is a bit ruffled." He leaned forward, pressing his face closer to the hooked nosed teen. "You look like you've been having sex."

Severus tensed and almost released his bone crushing hold. Harry chuckled and Severus narrowed his already dispassionate gaze.

"I don't have time for your games." He practically hissed. "Do you know what happened not two minutes ago?" He demanded.

"Well actually I think it took you a bit longer then two minutes to find me from the dungeons Severus." Harry replied smartly. "But no, I don't know what has transpired; tell me if it makes you so happy, since you've obviously braved the staircases and halls to find me."

"Miyake _dumped_ me, as you pathetic plebeians call it." Severus rattled the slight figure in annoyance.

"You're looking pretty pathetic there yourself Severus, being the one dumped and all." Harry then grimaced. "Why do you continuously use surnames when referring to women?"

"Because _Potter_, it is beneath me to use given names when the individual isn't worth my time." He leaned in closer, nose brushing against Harry's.

"At least I'm not the only one then. And I suppose it's all for the best in the end." Harry breathed, eyes lidded. "Now that _Miyake_ is out of the picture, I can have you all for myself."

"Do you think of nothing else?" Severus began to pull away with frustration. "What makes you believe I would – "

"Save it."

He tugged on Severus' robes, unbalancing the taller boy and pulling him closer. The kiss was passionate, heated, needed.

_It's been too long._ Harry rubbed his leg against Severus' thigh, eliciting a wanting groan.

He knew this was wrong; he should hate Severus with a passion for all the shit he had been put through. But really, can you say no to the person you're smitten with, the _first_ person you've _ever_ liked? It's hard to deny them of their wants, and Harry was first to admit this.

His hands clutched the dark robes and leaned into the firm chest of his superior. By the feel of Severus' _private_ areas, it had been _way_ too long since they had last done anything of this sort.

Burning kisses and licks were trailed down across the tempting throat; Harry nipped and suckled on the smooth skin.

"Did you do this with Miyake?" He breathed heatedly against the flesh pressed against his lips. "Did you want her as much as I want _you_?"

Severus moved against the warmth pressed so enticingly close to him, the friction of their crotches rubbing together sending quick jolts of pleasure through his groin. He was going to loose his calm soon, he couldn't…not in front of Potter.

It took a lot of self-control to push away the writhing body. "No!" He huffed, clenching his eyes shut as he held the boy away with one hand. "I can't do this, not with you."

"Why?" Harry murmured, hands trailing across the arm holding him still. "We both want this, you _know_ you do."

"_Why_?" Severus hissed desperately. "Why do you continue to do this to me? You and I are not right for each other Potter!"

Harry smiled sadly. "I don't expect you to understand." He shook his head. "But I've come to feel that I love you."

There was no sound to penetrate the tense silence.

"You know I do Severus." Harry's voice lost some of its strength. "I love you so – "

"Shut up."

The younger flinched in surprise. "Sever– "

"Don't say my name; it disgusts me when you say it." He spat, hardening his heart and pushing Harry away from his body. "_You_ disgust me every time I am forced to look upon your face. I _hate_ you." _I can't feel anything towards him; it will only lead to hurt in the end._

"There's a fine line between – "

Severus scowled. "Love and hate, I know."

Harry frowned. "That's a Muggle phrase, how did you know of it?"

"You'd be surprised." Severus replied dryly. "So don't try to feed me your drivel about loving me, it's all a lie, a hormonal trick."

"No!" Harry said furiously. "It's not a trick, I _do_ love you."

A dark head was shook. "You're too young for love, we both are, and I am too cold to open myself to you." _It's better this way, if I ever let myself fall for him…no, it must end here._

"What do you want me to do to prove it to you?" Harry asked desperately. "Do you want me to tell the entire school, because I will if you give me a chance!"

"No."

Harry grabbed his hair in frustration, growling his confusion. "You're so – Merlin, you're a fucking coward! You're a worthless little snake with no backbone at all!"

Severus huffed angrily. "How dare – "

"How dare I?" Harry spat. "_You_ Snape, _you_ were the one who pushed me this far. I though that for once I could be happy, even if it was pretending to be something I wasn't. But you always have to rain on everyone's parade don't you; always have to have a storm cloud trailing behind you. I'm tired of it!"

"Then leave, wash your hands of me as I wish to do to you. You call me boneless and a coward, you're nothing but a Lion in Snake's clothing."

Emerald eyes narrowed. "Are we back to the pathetic Gryffindor taunts? I'll have you know that I was sorted into _Slytherin_."

"A fact which I cannot understand." Severus scoffed. "You bring shame to our House."

Harry stared incredulously at Snape. "Are you kidding me? After all that shit I did to prove myself? Was that _nothing_? Merlin, you don't even pretend to _care_, you want to know the reason I'm in Slytherin?" He glared. "Will that make you happy, to know why the Gryffindor wannabe is in _your_ House?"

An uncaring hand was waved. "If it is worth hearing I suppose."

"I didn't want to be like James! I wanted to be different! Is that what you want to hear? That I don't want to be in my older brother's shadow?"

Severus laughed, loudly. _A fool's excuse._ "Poor little Harry."

Harry growled. "I didn't want to be known as James Potter's little brother! I want to be Harry for once, just Harry! Is that so much to ask for?"

"In this world it is." Severus shook his head in disgust. "You're pathetic Potter, why would I waste my time on _you_?"

A glimmer of something primal flashed in Harry's narrowed eyes as he stepped forward. "Because I've spent far too much on _you_."

He pinned Severus with his hungry gaze, hands reaching out and firmly grasping the robes hiding his form. Severus stiffened, in more places then one.

Harry continued to lean forward, hands insistent as they trialed burning paths across the stiff shoulders. "_Please_, let me prove it to you."

Severus swallowed thickly, eyes wide and surprised. This was most definitely _not_ the boy he had agreed to date all those weeks ago. He leaned into the touch and groaned, finding that he didn't care at the moment _who_ it was making him feel this way, only knowing that he didn't want it to stop anytime soon.

He nodded numbly. "Let's go."

--- --- ---

Within a dimly lit Room, two figures writhed in the shadows of desire. Harry was spread out beneath Severus, naked and wanting as he shifted and slid across the silken sheets of midnight.

"You want this so bad?" Snape growled, pointing to his obvious erection as he looked down at the lovely piece of flesh he had captured. "Is this what you really want?"

Harry's mouth opened, eyes glazing over. "_Please_." He whispered. _Anything, just touch me before it's too late._

"_Fine_." Snape hissed, moving forward.

Harry was roughly pushed deeper into the mattress as Severus pulled his body on top of the slighter wizard's, breath panting as his eyes shone with lust.

"Be careful what you ask for Potter." He murmured once more in a sort of warning.

Harry's last chance to escape his fate.

He remained motionless and Severus took the invitation as it was meant. Harry responded to the touch and heat of his lover, bending and arching as his body was used by the lean youth. Snape was rough in his motions, hurtful as he took Harry's virginity. But the boy couldn't stop him, wouldn't.

He loved him too much.

That was why he remained silent as Severus continued to thrust into him, claiming his body. That was why he made no sound when his lover climaxed after his fucking, screaming Lily's name. That was also why he didn't argue when he was told to go back to his own dorm.

He loved him far too much…

Harry remained silent throughout everything, his heart unknowingly crumbling in his chest with every step he took away from the Room of Requirement. What he required was someone to hold him and love him, something that could not be given unwillingly.

All he wanted was to be loved in return…

* * *

AN: Well, I figured, Cho is annoying, and so is Mia, so why not have them related? I don't know if anyone caught that, but eh, oh well. Oh, and sorry for the weirdness of the second half, I needed to put that part somewhere so viola.

Reiko: I'm sorry to hear that and thank u for your opinion; u will be missed if u do decide to leave.

-Red


	31. Padfoot's Prerogative

"Oi Potter, this isn't your table." Sirius scowled as he found Harry perched at the Gryffindor table the next morning.

Harry made no reply, his face shielded by his arms, the steady rise and fall of his shoulders the only sign of his wakefulness.

Sirius stepped closer and shook the table a bit. "Wake up you lazy sod and go back to your own House." He had every right to be rude to the little whelp, after that near drowning incident he had suffered from a sore throat.

Still nothing from the smaller wizard, which was beginning to worry the Gryffindor.

"Hey Harry, what's wrong with you?" He asked, nudging the unresponsive figure.

The tousled head remained buried in the younger boy's arms. "Nothing." Harry finally mumbled into the tabletop, his voice muffled.

Sirius relaxed and sat, at least he was talking now. "Don't lie to me Harry; I've lived with your brother long enough to know when he's hiding something." He glanced toward the Slytherin table as he distractedly filled his plate. "Beside the fact that you're over _here_, you seem depressed."

"It's nothing." Harry grumbled again, shoulders tensed.

Another presence arrived but Harry remained still. "What's wrong with Harry?" Remus frowned as he sat beside his boyfriend.

"S'not saying." Sirius shrugged through a mouthful of eggs, shoveling more food into his mouth. "I think it's got something to do with Snape though." He muttered darkly.

Amber eyes roved toward the Slytherins, locking onto the youth in question. Snape seemed… relaxed, glowing almost.

Remus' eyes widened. "He got laid." He said suddenly, sure of himself.

"What!" Sirius spat out the food in his mouth, spraying the tabletop in front of him with bits of mush.

A few heads turned in their direction with curiosity. They were ignored though and the boys' voices lowered.

"Are you serious Moony?" The dark haired boy demanded, eyes shifting toward Harry.

"_Look _at him." Remus grimaced. "You can tell Padfoot." His voice held disgust.

"Merlin's beard Potter!" Sirius cried. "Did you let him shag you!" He whispered fiercely.

Harry's face remained hidden. "How do you know I didn't bugger _him_?" He retorted.

Remus chuckled despite the sensitive situation. "Believe me Harry, I can tell. Take it from someone who bottoms, we can spot our kind."

"That's beside the point!" Sirius interrupted. "Don't try to change the subject."

There was a deep sigh of resignation. "_Fine_. Yes, I let Severus fuck me."

"What have you done Harry?" Remus asked sadly, trying to remain calm for both of them as Sirius scowled at his side. He knew and understood the situation between the Slytherins, and Harry was _not_ scheduled for a shagging anytime soon, the couple's issues had not been figured out.

"He doesn't care about me." Harry's shoulders began to quiver. "I mean, I already knew that, but it just hurts to hear it too." He sniffed. "I tried so hard to prove that I was worth his time, damn him, he doesn't give a flying shit about me!"

"What did he say?" The werewolf asked softly.

"He called out Lily's name when we were having sex." Harry said miserably. "I knew it was too much to hope for that he had forgotten about her."

Sirius gasped. "That bastard!" He spat, eyes turning up toward the Slytherin.

Snape was watching them calmly and he had the nerve to smile at the fuming Gryffindor. Sirius growled and glared at the Slytherin. 'Watch yourself.' He mouthed warningly.

The mocking laugh from Snape was heard from across the Hall and Harry's shoulders stiffened even more.

"He's making fun of me isn't he?" He asked brokenly, refusing to lift his head.

Remus placed a comforting hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles to calm the younger.

"That bastard is doing this to spite _us_!" Sirius snarled. "James was right, why did he have to drag Harry into it?"

"Revenge." Remus murmured. "You know how Slytherins are, no offence Harry. They don't care if they hurt people."

"Let's go find Prongs; I don't think I can sit here any longer." The dark haired teen growled.

Remus nodded silently and nudged Harry's shoulder. "Come on pup, you're coming with us."

Harry roused from his mute state and stood with the two Marauders, allowing them to push him out of the Great Hall which was beginning to fill up with late risers.

The Slytherins laughed as they walked out and Remus had to keep a calming hand on Sirius' palm, which was itching toward his wand.

"No hexes this early." He said firmly. "We find James, _then_ we form our plan."

--- --- ---

"What the hell happened to _you_?" James demanded.

Sirius was sporting a shiner and his left fist was twitching slightly at his side, knuckles burning an angry red. Remus entered through the portrait behind him with Harry.

"Nothing." Sirius replied. "We just ran in to Malfoy, bloody bastard." He muttered under his breath.

"And why – beside the usual reasons – did you find the need to pick a fight with that prat?" James crossed his arms with a demanding lift to his brow.

"He was taunting Harry if you must know." Remus spoke instead.

Taunting really couldn't be the word used to describe the degrading spout of drivel Malfoy had thrown at the depressed boy. The blonde was still suffering the aftereffects of the spell, and had retained his slim figure, chest and all, though the problem below had been resolved. So it came as no surprise that he would choose to laugh in Harry's face, having heard firsthand what had happened from Snape. The punch to his cheek distracted him a bit though, and that was how Sirius had ended up pounding Lucius with his fists.

"Harry?" James seemed to realize his younger sibling was in the room. "What's wrong with him?"

"Snape." Sirius growled.

"_That_ bastard?" The eldest Potter scowled. "What did he do to my little brother?"

"He's a fucking arse that's what he is!" Sirius raged. "Pining after Evans when Harry's the one who loves him though I hate to admit it."

"He's still after her?" Hazel eyes closed with a sigh. "I thought he would have learned by now that she's mine." James rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly.

"Obviously not." There was a reluctant exhale of breath before Sirius spoke again. "Him an' Harry buggered last night and after the greasy git was finished with him he was yelling _Lily's_ name!"

"What!"

Remus sighed and pulled Harry onto one of the couches, soothing the silent boy with his touch.

"Snape had sex with my little brother!" James continued to rage. "No one touches Harry, I'll kill him!"

"I'm with you Prongs." Sirius stood. "I think we should go Snivellus hunting now, take care of our little git problem before he starts getting any funny ideas."

James nodded. "Yeah, let's go get the – "

"No."

All three Marauders turned toward the soft voice. Harry remained curled at Remus' side, head pillowed by the comforting arms holding him. He slowly looked toward his brother and Sirius.

"I don't blame you for wanting to protect me." He murmured. "You guys are my biggest defenders, and I thank you for that. But I can't have you hurting Severus, no matter _what_ he's done to me. This is my problem and I will deal with."

"We can't sit around and do _nothing_ Harry, he hurt you, he deserves to be punished." James retorted, though not unkindly. "What I want to know is why you're even back with him in the first place."

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, what happened to that Asian chit he had dangling off his arm a few weeks ago?" Sirius demanded. "Don't tell me you killed her to get into Snape's trousers."

Harry smiled wistfully. "I wish, but no, I hexed her and she attached herself to some other sod." His eyes shifted to the floor. "Then I pretty much seduced Severus into having sex with me, I thought he would want to stay with me if we were together physically."

James watched his brother for a few moments and then shook his head ruefully. "Lily's been talking to me lately and she's drilled it in deep that I have to let you grow up sometime." He ruffled his hair reluctantly. "I guess I'll step back in this case, no matter how much I want to wring Snape's scrawny neck."

"What!" Sirius cried. "You're going to let some _girl_ tell you how to protect your brother?" He scowled. "Snape deserves to be punished! After everything – _everything_ – that he's done, you're just going to forget about it like that?"

"Yes." Harry said firmly. "It's my own fault for going to him in the first place, just let it go."

Remus nodded. "Listen to him Padfoot, if Harry wanted our help he would ask for it, we shouldn't concern ourselves with matters that don't concern us." He explained calmly.

Sirius looked to all of them with a shocked expression. "That's it? You're all giving up just like that?" He demanded as he angrily stood. "Well I'm not some Hufflepuff first year, he should be taught a lesson. I take it quite personal when people are being hurt because of something I'm part of." His fist shook. "Don't you understand Prongs, Snape's been hurting Harry to get back at the Marauders, all of _us_!"

James shook his head. "Harry's made his decision."

"If that's how it's going to be then fuck you." He flipped James off to prove his words. "I'm a Gryffindor, loyal and brave, and I'm going to stand up for my friend whether he wants my help or not." He looked at Harry before storming away.

Remus sighed regretfully as his boyfriend left. "I'm sorry about that." He murmured.

"Why is he taking this so seriously?" Harry asked as he lifted himself from Remus' arms. "It's really nothing for him to be concerned about."

"Sirius doesn't take well to bullies, though the way we treat Severus can be categorized as such. I think it has something to do with his own family, he was never liked or accepted by the Blacks, he's an outcast really." Remus smiled sadly. "So when he sees you being shoved about by your own House and then turned away from the person you care for, it makes him angry and reminds him of his own self."

Harry frowned and looked toward the portrait. "Do you think he'll do something regretful? Or should I go after him and stop whatever crazed plan he's come up with."

"Let him go." James fell back into a chair, covering his face with his hands. "As long as he doesn't do anything too dangerous I think he'll be fine on his own."

Remus bit his lip nervously. "If you say so." _Sirius, please don't take things too far._

--- --- ---

_They're going to find me, I know they are. Damn arrogant bastards, they think they can go around bullying whoever they want. And does anyone see Dumbledore doing anything about it? No, because he turns his head the other way when it comes to his favorite Gryffindors._

Severus sneered at the thought and continued his brisk pace; it would do him no good to be found by Potter and his crew, especially after having deflowered the "little brother" of the Marauders. Potter was like a mother hen with Harry as his unwilling chick. A quiet laugh escaped Severus as he turned the corner, that would be an amusing sight to see.

He sobered at the thought of Harry. Last night had been a mistake; he should not have gotten close after having pushed the boy away for so long. All his hard work, thrown out the window for a night of mindless fucking! He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts, he should have gotten rid of his problem before it could get this far.

There was no helping it; he would find a way to get the message through Harry's head. He had to hand it to the third year though, he was persistent and not one to take no for an answer. If Severus had been put through the same situation he would have hexed himself five times over! Because really, he was _trying_ to be an utter bastard toward Harry, in hopes that he would forget about him and leave, but the boy wasn't taking the hint!

"Damn brat, he doesn't know what's good for him." He muttered and rubbed the bridge of his nose as a familiar headache began to throb.

"Hey _Snivellus_."

Severus stiffened and halted all movement. _Damn._ He slowly lowered his hand and glared at the Gryffindor leaning casually against a stone wall outside. "Black." He glowered, when the hell had he gotten so far out of the castle?

Sirius waved casually, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Fancy seeing you here." His eyes flashed coldly. "Fancy seeing you at all actually, I'm surprised you haven't holed yourself away somewhere, or have you gotten cocky?" He pushed away from the wall and stepped forward.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Severus replied with a calm air, he refused to play into the Gryffindor's game.

"Really, because rumor has it, the Marauders are after your hide." Sirius purred silkily, stepping closer into Snape's personal space.

_Shit._ Severus cursed inwardly, while outwardly he donned a sneer. "Is that so, well I don't listen to pathetic rumors, or the unimportant people who spread them." He sent a pointed look toward Sirius. "As for the content of the rumor, well I haven't the slightest clue as to why I would warrant such a punishment."

Sirius clenched his jaw shut and bit his tongue, Snape was a slimy bastard, he knew which buttons to press and how far he could push. The Gryffindor took a calming breath and smiled as though the two were old friends.

"Enough of that, I pulled you aside for a specific reason." He said with false cheer.

Severus watched on warily as the Marauder took a step back. "Oh?"

"The Whomping Willow, ever heard of it?" Sirius asked with a mysterious grin.

_Is he stupid, everyone's heard of that._ "Of course." Severus replied, just as vague.

"Do you know how to get inside of it?" Sirius asked again. "Because I do."

Now this Severus did _not_ know, he had assumed the tree was just that, a tree. But for it to have a route _inside_ meant it was protecting something, something dangerous if the outside was anything to go by.

"Why are you telling me this information?" Severus asked suspiciously. "And why should I trust or believe you?"

Sirius shrugged and held up his hands in a beseeching manner. "No reason I just thought I would pass the info along, and you seem to be interested enough." He cocked his head to the side. "You _are_ interested aren't you?"

Of course he was interested! But trusting a Gryffindor and one who pranked you on a daily basis was practically suicide. Severus sighed, there was only so much to lose, and so much more knowledge to gain.

"How do I get in?"

_Excellent._ Sirius's eyes flashed. "You have to wait until there's a full moon, and then all you have to do is prod the knot at its base."

Severus frowned suspiciously. "That's all?" It seemed ridiculously easy.

"Yep." Sirius clapped his hands together in success. "Oh, and if you happen to see Remus, say hi for me, he tends to hang out in that general area."

_Lupin?_ Severus' eyes widened despite himself. _Perhaps this is what he's been hiding. _His thoughts turned inward as he smirked, he knew the Gryffindor was hiding something, and it was probably within the tree. If Black unknowingly helped him find out about his studious friend, then all the better.

"Thanks." Snape turned and walked back inside without a glance back.

Sirius watched the retreating figure for a few moments longer before grinning evilly. "No, thank _you_."

* * *

AN: While I was typing this I got a bit of inspiration and drew myself a "Fanart" piece or whatever, I don't have a freaking scanner, so I had to do it on Paint, but it looks ok in my opinion. So go check it out, it's of Sirius! The link's on my profile near the bottom, and when u go, make sure to click on Gone 'cus that's the fic!

-Red


	32. Snowy Nightmares

AN: I scribbled more pics for this scene!

* * *

"_Harry, if I told you I loved you, would you stay?"_

"_Severus?" Harry's eyes scanned the area around him frantically. "Severus where are you?" He could see nothing. Everything around him was shadowed in darkness, it was suffocating, the kind of dark you experience when you're in the deepest of pits. Nothing could be seen, nothing felt, as Harry reached out his hands and encountered emptiness. _

_Where am I?_

"_If I held onto you forever, would you love me in return?" The whisper surrounded Harry once more, smothering him in the presence of another. _

_Harry felt desperate tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. "Yes! Severus I would, just please, don't leave me!" He tried to reach out once more. "Please, where are you?" _

_Soothing hands pulled the slight body into a warm embrace, comforting and loving all at once. A brush of lips at his temple calmed him. "Harry…" _

_He leaned into the warmth, blinking in surprise when he found himself without clothes, but he ignored it for now. Why was his heart burning? He closed his eyes and buried his face in a firm chest, why did he feel as though it was too late to do anything? Harry's eyes flew open as he suddenly began slipping downward. _

"_Severus, don't let me go, don't leave me again." Harry clutched frantically at the already weakening arms, he felt himself slipping from the embrace, from his hope. _

_The strength lifting him gave out and he was released, falling into a deep hole of despair. He screamed as he plummeted, crying for the love he had lost. The hands above him remained open, mocking almost, and the voice had a regretful tone to it as it echoed after Harry. _

"_Sweet, sweet Harry…I'm already gone." _

"No!" Harry yelled desperately, shooting up from his pillow and the nightmare he had been trapped within. He choked, tears streaming down his cheeks as he wildly looked about his bed. _Why?_

He groaned and buried his face in trembling hands; thankfully he had a permanent Silencing Charm around his bed so he didn't have to worry about his dorm mates. Slowly he rolled over and untangled his legs from his sheets; he wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon.

"Fuck." He grumbled as he rubbed his eyes tiredly, throwing back the drapes shielding his bed. This was the perfect way to start off his day, it was totally ruined now.

He sighed and glanced at the floor. _What was that?_

Severus wasn't usually a major character in his dreams, especially as of late…but still, it seemed so real. But _why_ would he have such a terrible dream about the older boy? He absently rubbed his chest, the emotions he had been forced through, they didn't make him feel any better. It felt as though his heart had been shattered, it felt as though a piece of him was missing.

Harry glanced up at the silent room, his fringe covering his one of his eyes; he wanted to see Severus now. He needed to be sure he was still here…

_I have to stop this childishness._ He shook his head. _He's fine, it was just a dream. I have to get over it._

The Slytherin stood and heavily sighed again as he glanced up determinedly.

_It was nothing but a dream._

--- --- ---

Afternoon classes were not in the least bit fun, even if it was Transfiguration. Harry was so distracted that his poor mouse was turned into a doorknob with a twitching tail. McGonagall was nice enough to see his mind was elsewhere and gave him a passing grade, though she did take five points from Slytherin for his lack of attention.

The Runespoor had been disappointed when Harry transfigured the doorknob back to its original shape and then returned it to the Professor.

"_We could have eaten that you know._" Critic hissed with a bit of snap in his tone.

Harry frowned and scratched at his neck as he glanced around him. "_I would have felt bad about it though. I'll get you something to eat at lunch._" He hissed softly.

Dreamer hummed happily. "_No rush Master, we can wait._"

Critic hissed distastefully. "_Says the head who ate all of breakfast this morning!_"

"_Stop it you two._" Harry tapped their heads. "_We'll all eat in a few minutes, lunch is after this._" He reminded.

"_Critic here requires a bit more nourishment then the rest of us because his brain is abnormally small._" Planner hissed laughingly. "_He cannot tell when he is full or not and his brain makes up for that forgetfulness by telling him to constantly stuff his mouth._"

Harry covered his chuckle as a few students around him turned in confusion. "_Planner!_" He chided.

Planner flicked his tongue out and "licked" Harry's cheek affectionately. "_It is true though._"

"_I'll_ _show you who has a big mouth!_" Critic hissed angrily as he prepared to strike his fellow head. "_We only need one brain on this body and that will be mine!_"

_And I'm once again reminded why this species of snake is rare and doesn't live very long. _Harry rolled his eyes and discretely shifted his hand to his collar once more, flicking Critic in the side of his head warningly.

He hissed in pain. "_Why do you punish me? It was his fault!_"

"_You're acting childish, both of you stop or I'll let Dreamer have all the lunch._" Harry warned.

"_I'd like that._" Dreamer hissed warmly.

Harry smiled and attempted to pay attention to the rest of the lesson, taking notes when he saw the quills around him moving. Thankfully it wasn't too long and the Runespoor had calmed a bit, so he managed to escape class with little problems arising.

_Finally!_ He mentally cheered as he pushed himself through the throng of students. House colors swirled together in his vision, the mass of black pushing and shoving as everyone rushed toward the Great Hall. Then there were the few who decided to go _against_ the crowd and were forced the push and shove in the _opposite_ direction. _I hate these kind of people._ Harry growled as someone shoved him.

"_Someone touched me!_" Critic hissed in outrage, poking his head out of Harry's collar and glaring beadily at the few heads he could see. "_I'm going to bite whoever did that!_"

Harry scoffed and thanked the chattering groups of witches, without them and the scuffle of shoes; Critic's hissing might be heard. Then he would be left answering questions he had rather not.

"You're looking rather lost my pretty little friend." A voice whispered in his ear as a possessive arm snaked around his waist. Harry froze and would have stopped if the person hadn't moved him forward with their own momentum.

He turned to his left and relaxed, smacking Sirius in the back of his head. "You scared me you sod." He glared.

Sirius chuckled and smiled charmingly. "Sorry there, you just looked so distracted." He winked. "I couldn't resist."

_Well you're lucky I have my snake trained or else you'd be without a hand right now. _Harry thought dryly as the Runespoor slithered deeper into his robes.

"So what do I owe this surprising visit?" Harry asked, eyes shifting around them, staying aware of everyone at all times. _I'm surprised you'd even want to touch me after all the crap I've pulled._ He glanced up and saw that Sirius was watching him with a curious expression on his face. "What?"

Sirius shook his head and smiled. "Nothing, I was just noticing how much you look like James." He replied loosely.

_What?_ "Er…is that a good thing?" Harry chuckled. _Something seems off about him, I wonder what it is._

"I suppose." Sirius laughed and ruffled Harry's hair playfully.

"Padfoot!" Harry whined, hands flying up to fix the mess the Gryffindor had caused.

Sirius watched him silently. "Hey Harry, how about you come hang out with me tonight?" He suddenly offered.

Harry shifted a lock of silver, mixing it with the rest of his dark hair. "What about Remus?" Hell if he would be in the middle of one of their fights, he wouldn't go anywhere until he knew the details.

A hand was waved to disillusion any odd thoughts. "He's doing something off on his own tonight and I don't want to be alone with James and Lily." He grimaced to emphasize his position of the third wheel.

"Eh, I see your point." Harry shrugged. "Sure, I'm free. Maybe you can help me with my Transfiguration essay." He joked.

"Just because the old bat is my head of House doesn't mean I pay attention in her class." Sirius laughed.

The Slytherin grinned along with him. "I know, I know." He inclined his head to the side. "Just making sure."

Sirius nodded. "Well, I will see _you_ later." He pointed a finger at the younger Potter.

Harry saluted him with a slight wave. "Yes, yes, go now you brute." He turned in the opposite direction as the Gryffindor left.

"_What_ _about lunch?_" Dreamer asked sadly.

"_Later._" Harry murmured. "_I'll take you to the kitchens in a few minutes, but first I have to collect my things if I'm going to be spending the evening with the Gryffs._"

"_Couldn't you do that later?_" Planner asked reasonably. "_You still have plenty of time._" He pointed out.

"_I know, I just don't want to be in the same room as the Marauders or Severus for that matter._"

"_He's being a wimp, leave him alone._" Critic muttered.

Harry rolled his eyes. "_My hero, now if you would all kindly shut it, I will be on my way._" He sniffed haughtily in an imitation of a Pureblood.

He laughed as the three heads tickled his neck with their tiny tongues in retaliation.

--- --- ---

"Gryffindor, where the lonely lions go to hide." Harry laughed as he slid into the Gryffindor common room a few hours after dinner. "Just to let you know, Slytherin rules, we make dreams come true."

He received odd looks from the students lounging about. He chuckled and stepped closer to the fire.

"It's getting chilly out there!" He smiled as he pretended to shiver.

James smirked. "That's where Gryffindor is better then Slytherin, we always have the fires roaring." He nodded toward his brother. "I'm sure you freeze your little arse off down where you live."

"Yes I'm sure we do." He chuckled. "I lost my arse long ago so it doesn't bother me much anymore."

Lily smiled beside James and made herself known. "So how are things Harry? Feeling better?"

He shrugged. "Eh, I don't feel like killing myself but then again I don't feel like throwing myself at the first person I see."

"So you feel normal." James smiled.

"Yeah James, sure." Harry waved him off. "Go snog with your girlfriend." He laughed as he made a beeline toward the stairs.

"Harry!" Lily cried after him. "I thought we were friends!"

"We were, but you're with _him_ now." He stuck his tongue out and made gagging noises. "I can't associate myself with James' _girlfriend_, it's just gross."

"Go on you pouf!" His brother threw a couch pillow at him.

Harry dodged and skipped up the stairs happily. He had thought he wouldn't be able to enjoy himself with Gryffindors, but they weren't half bad.

"Sirius, I've come to rescue you from your loneliness!" Harry called as he hopped into the room.

The Marauder was spread on his boyfriend's bed; he smiled and rose as he saw Harry. "Hey there mini James." He greeted. "Ready for some manly bonding?"

"Mm hm." Harry nodded as he entered the room; Sirius moved past him and shut the door.

Harry paused as he heard the deft click of the lock sliding in place.

_What does he think he's doing?_ He decided to play it cool.

"Why are you locking the door?" He frowned as he bounced onto his brother's bed.

Sirius smiled disarmingly. "No reason, I just don't want anyone uninvited to come up here."

Harry nodded but continued to watch the Gryffindor suspiciously as he went to lie down on his own mattress. The green eyed boy finally shrugged and pushed off the bed and opted for looking out the window. He traced patterns on the chilled glass and sighed, leaning his brow against smooth surface. No matter how hard he tried to distract himself he always came back to thinking about Severus, the dream he had had this morning was really throwing him for a loop.

_I'll be better off not thinking about Severus anymore._ He inwardly scoffed. _He's been treating me like shit and I just keep throwing myself at his feet, begging for another chance at a relationship. Fuck, am I a masochist or what?_

He thumped his head against the glass, trying to straighten out his thoughts.

_I don't even know what I see in him, he's a sadistic bastard. A Slytherin to the end._ He sighed wistfully. _But that day, even if it was an accident, he stole my first kiss and I've been "in love" with him ever since. Everything is so fucked up, why can't I just be normal?_ Something moved at the corner of his eye and he turned toward it curiously.

"What's that?" He whispered to himself, squinting and then making a soft noise in the back of his throat as the black dot turned out to be a student.

Harry frowned curiously as he tapped the cool glass, he leaned forward, eyes narrowed in an attempt to see the figure trudging through the snow. His breath fogged up the window and he absently wiped at the pane. "I wonder who that is out there." He murmured.

Sirius didn't look away from the wall, his face remained emotionless. "Who Harry?" He asked, having heard the other boy.

"There's someone out in the snow, it looks like they're walking toward the Forbidden Forest." Harry turned toward the lone Marauder who continued staring avidly at an invisible spot on the wall.

A slow smirk spread across Sirius' features. "That's just Snivellus then." He chuckled. "And believe me; he's not going to the Forest."

"What?" Harry's brow furrowed. "How would you know it was Severus? You didn't even look." He pointed out.

"He's off to play with Moony." Sirius craned his neck and pierced Harry with a searing stare.

Harry turned back toward the window in confusion. "Moony? Where is Remus anyway…" His eyes slowly trailed upward and lit onto the moon distractedly.

The full moon.

He whirled around. "Padfoot, you didn't." Harry whispered, heart freezing in his chest as his stomach plummeted.

"He deserves it Harry, he hurt you." Sirius growled, shifting into a sitting position. "If James won't take care of him then I will."

Harry's mouth dropped open in horror. "Sirius, tell me you didn't!" He pleaded, turning back toward the window and seeing that the figure was indeed heading toward the Whomping Willow. "It's a fucking full moon! Don't you understand what that means?"

Sirius scowled and looked away as he crossed his arms stubbornly. "How do you know about Moony anyway? Did he tell you? I bet James did, didn't he, the ungrateful sod." He muttered darkly.

"I found out myself Black." Harry's eyes were wild as he glared at the elder wizard. "Now tell me what you told Severus."

The Gryffindor shrugged uncaringly. "All I did was tell him how to get past the Whomping Willow." He laughed as he remembered something. "Oh, and that it only worked during a full moon."

"_What_!" Harry roared, magic sparking around him angrily. His eyes were practically glowing as he turned his rage onto the cowering Gryffindor. "You've taken your little rivalry too far Black! You had better help me stop him!"

Sirius winced at the force of Harry's anger. "I can't, Remus has already transformed and Snivellus has a head start."

Harry threw himself back onto the window. "Severus, stop!" He screamed, pounding on the window and cracking the glass. "It's a trap!"

Whether or not the wizard heard him couldn't be said as Severus continued forward toward the Whomping Willow, it was doubtful though, Harry was too far away. Trapped and helpless like a princess locked away in a tower while her true love was left to slay the dragon.

"Damn you Sirius!" Wild eyes turned back toward the Gryffindor accusingly as he ran to the door and jiggled the handle. "I swear to Merlin, if he's hurt in any way I'll cut off your balls and cock!"

"How can you still protect him after everything he's done to you!" Sirius demanded, his temper sparking once more.

"I love him!" Harry cried, kicking the door in emphasis. "And even if he doesn't love me, I won't see him getting hurt! Damn it Padfoot, didn't you think about _Remus_ during all of this? He could hurt Snape and then get in expelled!"

The teen paled. "Merlin, _Remus_…I didn't even think about him." He whispered, turning toward the now unmoving tree. "We have to stop him." He rose from the bed.

"Then let me out of here!" Harry struggled with the door handle.

Sirius growled in frustration as he tugged at his wand, moving toward the door. "Merlin Harry, you're a wizard. _Alohamora_."

Harry brushed past him and stumbled down the stairs, taking two at a time in his hurry. He burst into the common room, grabbing the attention of the few Gryffindors still awake.

"Harry?" James frowned from the couch; Lily curled up beside him in sleep. "What's wrong, I thought you were with Sirius."

A choked sob managed to escape Harry's throat in his panic. James immediately stood and rounded the couch with a worried air, placing a soothing hand on his brother's shoulder. "What happened?" He asked gently.

"Sirius." Harry growled, clenching a fist. "He told Severus how to get past the Whomping Willow." He looked up at his brother in silent plea.

James shook his head. "What does that matter – " He stopped, eyes widening in realization. "Shit, that little fucker! Come on Harry, we have to stop Snape from getting to Remus!"

"James?" Lily murmured sleepily as the two Potters ran past.

"I'll be back Lily, stay here!" James called over his shoulder.

They burst through the portrait, ignoring the annoyed huff from the Fat Lady. James grabbed Harry's wrist and dragged him along behind him. The stairs seemed to understand their rush and they made it down to the ground floor with little trouble. As the reached the front doors James skidded to a stop and panted as he turned toward his little brother.

"Harry, you have to go to Dumbledore and tell him what happened." He shook his hair out of his face. "Don't go into detail; just tell him that Snape found out about Remus."

"But what about you?" Harry tried to move forward.

James pushed him back toward the hallway leading toward the Headmaster's office. "I'm going to try and stop Remus from hurting Snape." He smiled quickly at Harry's worried look. "Don't worry; I've done this sort of thing before."

Harry nodded and turned toward the direction his brother had showed him.

"Bring him back safe James." He whispered as his brother darted out the front doors.

He didn't know if James had heard him but he had a feeling he would carry out Harry's wish no matter what. He remained motionless, watching as James ran into the snow, sinking slightly but never stopping his forward motion. He then turned and continued along his own path.

_Please let him be safe._

--- --- ---

Severus was cold. He had on his wool cloak, his mittens, even his damned Slytherin scarf, and still he was shivering. It could have been for the sheet of snow layering the ground; it was amusing to him that it had suddenly started snowing, when the weather wasn't planning on it for another few weeks. It wasn't quite winter, yet the setting was already set.

"_Achoo!_"

Damn, he was _really_ cold now. He rubbed his nose irritably, if he got sick he would kill his insatiable urge to know everything about his damned enemies. Though, in essence he would be killing himself so…no matter! He would just damn anyone if he got sick, because people with noses slightly larger then normal suffered unbearably from allergies and colds.

There, _finally_, the Whomping Willow. He frowned uncertainly, a slight nagging at the back of his mind was telling him to trust his better instincts and run as he watched the branches wave through the air violently. That would be the Slytherin half of him, a part of him rationalized, but right now he sought the unknown. He really _really_ wanted to know Lupin's secret, blame it on childish rivalry, he would ignore his better half this time.

His mum always did say he had a bit of Ravenclaw in him, a thirst for knowledge.

_All_ _I have to do is prod the knot, right?_ Severus stepped closer, feeling the wind warp around him dizzily as the branches continued their chaotic dance. _Exactly how am I supposed to do that?_ He glanced around curiously. His eyes lit upon a long stick. _Surely this isn't the key._ He frowned.

Despite his misgivings he knelt down in the cold snow and hefted up the long branch, balancing it in front of him and shakily pressing forward against the knot. The tree slowly came to a stop and Severus' eyes widened in surprise. So Black had been telling the truth, interesting. He moved forward now that he was in no danger and dropped the stick as he entered through the dark tunnel.

_I hope there aren't any spiders in here._ He glanced around warily at the inside of the tree. He didn't enjoy spiders, and in his opinion the only place they belonged was in a jar, ready to be brewed into a potion.

His hand trailed along the wall to his right; it was rough like the bark of a tree. He supposed he was _inside_ the Whomping Willow, though the stairs that appeared in his line of sight started to trek upward. He followed the path forward, scowling in boredom as the walls slowly transformed into drab rocks, and then wood. He blinked in surprise and switched his focus away from the walls surrounding him.

A howl echoed through the tunnel and he jolted to the side, thinking the beast that announced its presence would come barreling out. He then heard the creaking above him and realized his was inside a shack.

_Surely this isn't what I think it is._ He looked around him in feared awe.

He was in the Shrieking Shack.

A chill raced up his spine; hopefully he didn't run into any restless spirits bent on revenge. He had heard the stories of how this area was haunted, another howl pierced the air and he shuddered. It seemed he would be experiencing it first hand.

Well the only way to go was forward of course, he had might as well explore while he was there, no telling when this secret passage would be closed off.

He slowly stepped forward, testing his weight on the creaking staircase. _Here goes nothing._ He jumped forward and waited for the floor to give out beneath him. When he didn't plunge to his death immediately Severus sighed in relief and took another hesitant step forward.

Through this slow movement forward, Severus managed to reach a dirtied window and carefully peered outside. The moon was full, beautiful really; he always enjoyed the moon on nights such as this. He sneezed as he inhaled the dust covering everything, causing his eyes to water.

_Eck, I don't think I want to stay here much longer._ He glanced about the hall and spied a door. _Hm, perhaps this will lead me out._

He stepped over a couple floorboards that looked ready to give way to rot and sidestepped into the room; his green and silver scarf accidentally snatched onto the rusty knob and tugged him backward.

_Damn, if my scarf tears I am not going to – _

A growling snarl interrupted his inward ranting and the Slytherin was momentarily surprised, he turned toward the sound curiously. Severus froze, stomach dropping as the door clicked shut behind him, locking with the spell Dumbledore had placed on it. The shadowed room was scattered with broken furniture, a dusty mattress, along with the remains of tattered sheets…and a wolf.

_Merlin._ Severus trembled in fear as hauntingly yellow eyes lit upon him, flashing amber as the beast snarled. _It's a werewolf._

He had never been a dog lover, but this, this was just too much for him to handle. Severus felt his legs give out beneath him and he slid slowly to the ground, paling further in his terror. The furred beast growled lowly at the movement, baring canines slicked with blood and saliva, its eyes locked onto the quaking Slytherin predatorily. A shaft of moonlight illuminated the pair for a quick moment, only to be smothered by a passing cloud, but not soon enough to stop Severus from seeing the puddles of blood splattered across the wooden floor.

_I'm going to die._ He choked, trying to hold back his tears of weakness. _Fuck I'm going to die. _

The wolf took a tentative step forward, sniffing the air and trying to discover what creature would be stupid enough to trespass in its den. Severus whimpered as the sour breath washed over him, the wolf panted uncaringly in his face, shifting closer and closer to his body.

_Merlin, I wish I had worn a thicker scarf._ Severus tried not to let his panicked laughter bubble out. _Then_ _maybe it would have a harder time tearing my throat._

He squeaked and curled his legs closer to his body as the wolf finished dissecting him with its nose, the haunting eyes focused on his form and a warning growl pierced through the room.

_This is it. Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry for everything I've done!_ Surprisingly or not, Harry came to mind and he sobbed. _I swear I won't ever play with anyone's heart again, I swear that I won't ever – _

The werewolf lunged forward and Severus screamed shrilly, covering his face in a futile attempt of protection.

_I'm dead…_

Just as Severus closed his eyes in expectance of pain, a sharp yelp of a dog broke through his fear.

_What in blazes?_ He quickly opened his eyes and gasped.

A shaggy black dog had launched itself at the werewolf and was now snarling and yipping as the two fought. Severus' eyes widened as strong hands suddenly grabbed onto his robes and dragged him out of the room. He blinked in shock, his brain not able to process everything happening around him.

"Snape, are you alright mate?" A voice above him asked worriedly.

He looked up and blinked again slowly, confused as to where he was and who had saved him.

"Harry?" He reached out toward the shadowed face.

His hand was batted away. "Er…no, it's James, come on Snape, get up we need to get you out of here." He directed hurriedly.

Severus turned back toward the room where the two canines were locked in the throes of rage. Neither option was a good one, but he opted for the safer route and stood, allowing Potter to guide him out of the Shack.

The dirty walls and rocks seemed to pass much quicker as Severus stared at everything in a daze; the body supporting his own was warm as the coldness of winter tickled his cheeks.

_I_ _wonder where Harry is._ He winced as a headache pounded at his temples. _He would probably like this place, I should show him some time._

"We're almost out Snape." James whispered, even that slight noise echoed off the crumbling walls.

_Hm, out where?_ He giggled silently. _I quite like it here._

As the chilled wind slapped him in the face the full force of what had happened fell upon around him and he cried out as he was snapped out of his shock, he regained his senses and immediately began to panic. _Oh Merlin._ He was hyperventilating as he pushed Potter away and fell to his knees, throwing up in the snow upon impact.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…" He mumbled, eyes twitching to and fro in his skull.

Potter's shoes came into his line of vision and he felt the heat from the other's body. "Shit, are you alright Snape?" James bent over and laid a hand on the heaving shoulder.

Severus slapped at the warmth, eyes wide as he backed away, sounds of panic escaping his throat. "Stay away from me, all of you, stay away!"

He stumbled to his feet and glanced back at the lost looking Gryffindor before running full speed toward the looming castle.

_Safe, I'll be safe once I get inside._

His eyes widened at a sudden thought and he tripped, skidding across the frozen ground and scraping his chin with a wince.

Remus Lupin was a werewolf. The werewolf had almost killed him…

Snow flew up around him as Severus stood again, rushing himself and pushing toward the castle where the sense of safety waited.

Lupin had almost ripped out his throat! And if it hadn't been for that stupid Gryffindor's help he would have been killed, even though it was the Gryffindor's fault in the first place!

Severus suddenly shook at the realization and froze.

He could have died.

Merlin, he could have _died_! He nervously glanced behind him, his aloof mask shattered, leaving a nervous looking boy in its wake. It was those damned Gryffindors, they deserved to pay! He growled as he unsteadily moved forward, swaying on his feet, it felt as though he had been cursed with a Jelly Legs Jinx. They wouldn't get away with their little fun this time, Dumbledore would be forced to listen to him and expel the Marauders.

* * *

AN: I didn't know what to do so I just stopped. Eh, plus it was getting too long and my mum told me people don't like super long chaps, but I don't believe her, 'cus I sure do! Hm, well I'll see what I can do with the next chap.

-Red


	33. Lost Friend And Tears

AN: Hm, not a lot of people complained about the long chap, hehe, no one did actually, so here u go again!

* * *

"There's a werewolf in the Shrieking Shack Headmaster!" Severus panted as he burst into the room, having stood outside and angrily tried to guess the password for a few agonizing minutes. He froze and stared at a similarly shocked looking Harry who had turned at the noise and now had his mouth hanging open in slight surprise.

He shook his head, ignoring the fact that Harry was in the Headmaster's office at this late hour. He had more important things to deal with, the downfall of his longtime antagonists for instance.

"I am quite aware of that fact Mr. Snape." Dumbledore murmured calmly. "Now as to why you know…" He trailed off and gestured for him to explain.

"Why _I_ know?" Severus practically yelled as he stepped closer to the old man. "I almost got my fucking _head_ bit off by that beast!" He pointed toward the window in his anger, where the flailing branches of the Whomping Willow could be seen in the distance.

"Language Mr. Snape." Dumbledore chided distractedly, though he had a worried look about him now. "Were you injured at all?"

Severus seethed. "Luckily no, but it was a close call. That _monster_ was about to rip into my neck when this scruffy black _dog_ appeared and attacked it." His narrowed gaze shot toward Harry when he let out a distressed noise but the younger wizard was looking out the window.

"A _dog,_ Mr. Snape?" Dumbledore frowned.

Severus bowed his head, slamming his fist onto the desk, sending odds and ends shuddering with the force. "You don't _believe_ me?" He hissed, glaring up through his hair.

The Headmaster held up a calming hand. "It is not that I do not believe you, but considering the circumstances, perhaps it was an illusion of the mind."

"An illusion!" Severus exploded, lunging forward, pushing himself practically face to face with Dumbledore. "You think I'm _lying_? Ask Potter, he was there!"

Dumbledore turned toward Harry. "Mr. Potter, did you see a dog of that description?"

Harry winced, knowing that Severus would not appreciate being played with. He looked toward the seething boy and remained silent.

"No you fool!" Severus hissed, eyes flaming in rage. "The elder Potter, James!"

"Ah, well then we shall have to retrieve James Potter and ask him." Dumbledore replied calmly.

Severus seethed; the old codger was doing it again! He _knew_ what the Marauders were up to and he was playing the fool in order to keep them in an innocent light! He glared at Harry.

"What are _you_ doing here?" He demanded lowly, eyes narrow with suspicion.

Harry tugged at his robes uncertainly. "Actually I was here to warn the Headmaster of what had happened."

"And how would you know about the Shrieking Shack? Unless you were part of the plan the entire time! Is that it Potter, did you and your little Gryffindor friends have a good laugh at my expense?"

"There will be no pointing of fingers." Dumbledore interrupted.

"No, if he wants to blame me then let him." Harry glared at Severus. "But I'll have you know that I had nothing to do with that stupid act of revenge! I tried to stop it, I'm here aren't I? I was trying to save you!"

An accusing finger was stabbed in Harry's direction as Severus turned toward the Headmaster. "He admits it was a ploy of revenge! It was Potter and his damned crew!" He yelled, ignoring everything but the fact that it had something to do with the Marauders.

"Merlin you only hear what you want, don't you?" Harry snapped in frustration. "Do you really think I would want you torn to pieces by a werewolf?"

Severus paused and stared at the younger Slytherin. _Was he trying to help me? Or was he part of Black's little plan? _He shook his head, he didn't want to think about it, he wanted someone to be punished, and _now_.

Dumbledore rose from his chair. "Now Mr. Snape, there is no proof that this was an act of revenge, you said yourself that James Potter was at the scene. Did he harm you in any way?"

Severus actually growled in his frustration. "_No_." He cursed. "He saved me. But it was Black who told me how to get past the Whomping Willow! I know he had something to do with it!"

_A life debt?_ Harry's eyes widened a fraction. _No wonder he's so pissed, not to mention the fact he was almost killed. _

"Indeed Mr. Snape, but you said yourself; you saw nothing but a dog." Dumbledore pointed out.

Severus looked about ready to strangle _someone_ as he whirled around and made for the door, only to be halted mid-step.

"If you would wait a moment." Dumbledore came around the side of his desk and gestured for the two boys to follow him. The Slytherin pair reluctantly allowed the old wizard to guide them toward the door.

"Now, I want both of you to return to your House, I shall take care of Mr. Potter when I find him. As for you Severus, you must swear to me that you will not tell anyone Mr. Lupin's secret."

Severus pulled his shoulder away from the heavy hand and sneered. "The Hat put me in Slytherin." He reminded as he stared up at the Headmaster challengingly. "I can't promise anything."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes grew shadowed. "Mr. Potter, would you mind terribly if I asked you to leave us for a moment?" He asked softly with a gentle smile toward the younger.

Harry shifted restlessly. "I don't know – "

"Go Potter." Severus sneered back at him. "I can take care of myself."

"Fine!" Harry scowled and stormed past, slamming the door shut behind him.

Severus turned his attention back towards the Headmaster. "Are you going to hex me, now that there are no witnesses?" He asked silkily.

"No Mr. Snape, I pulled you aside because you are threatening the life of another student." Dumbledore replied gravely. "I cannot allow it."

"I did no such thing!" Severus protested vehemently. "You've seen what Lupin and his friends have done to me! You know what they're capable of yet you sit back and do _nothing_. If his secret escapes then it is the punishment he deserves, because I do not see _you_ taking any action."

The old wizard watched him sadly. "So you would make a fellow student suffer in order to obtain revenge?"

"He is a _monster_, a werewolf has no place in a school, he should be expelled. Black too for that matter!" Severus reached for the doorknob. "If we are finished, I would like to return to my dorm."

A clearing of throat made him pause. "If I find that Mr. Lupin has been ousted to the rest of the school, I will have no choice but to expel you Severus. I refuse to cast any spells against you to keep the secret, but I refuse to let someone else suffer for your anger."

Severus trembled in fury. "You old – " He shook his head with a clenched fist. "Fine, I will keep the mutt's pathetic secret." He turned a glare onto the wizard. "But I expect someone to be punished for tonight's transgressions."

He waited for no reply and left the office, robes billowing after him. The door swung closed in his haste and Dumbledore sighed sadly into the silence.

"Poor Severus, your soul is darkened by pain and doubt." He returned to his desk. "Hopefully Harry will be able to sooth your roughened heart."

--- --- ---

_Merlin, you try to help someone and they turn around and bite your head off!_

Harry made his way down the stairs and grimaced in thought, he wasn't sure what Dumbledore was capable of, but he didn't trust him alone with any student. He glanced over his shoulder worriedly before shaking it off and continuing forward.

_Damn._ He sighed in frustration, his conscience was getting to him, he had better wait for Severus or else he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Harry slowed to a stop and waited for Severus to come down the hall. He was worried about what would happen to Remus and undoubtedly Sirius and James, but he was also concerned about Severus. He had just gone through a traumatic experience! Most would be a blubbering mass of flesh, but Severus had remained his snarky self.

A shadow fell over his waiting spot and he glanced up as he saw the bowed figure heading toward him, sending more shadows flickering in the torch light.

"Severus…" Harry murmured.

The dark head shot up at the slight noise, eyes wide as he stared at Harry in disbelief. Severus paused for a moment of indecision and then quickly closed the space between them with a strange determination.

Harry took a tentative step forward. "Severus, what did he – mmph!"

His words were suddenly muffled as Severus grabbed his face and kissed him fiercely, desperately. Harry struggled as greedy hands ran the length of his chest and slipped lower to his waist.

_What the hell does he think he's doing! _He grimaced as he forcefully pushed away the larger body. He huffed as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, glaring at Severus with a scowl.

"What was that?" He demanded, backing away and putting space between them. "Merlin, did Dumbledore hex you or something?"

Severus glanced away nervously, very out of character. "I've been thinking." He muttered, a flash of bloodied fangs and amber eyes coming to mind. "Harry, I don't want us to fight anymore."

_What's he trying to pull?_ Harry stared at him in shock. "Are you alright? Did you bump your head or are you admitting you've been in denial this entire time? "

Severus shifted his gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry." He murmured into the accusing silence. "Everything I've done to you, it was wrong." He looked up, eyes desperate as they searched Harry's for any reaction. "_I _was wrong. I want to give us another chance."

"What's your point?" Harry crossed his arms and glared, suddenly angry.

"What?" Severus blinked in surprise, that wasn't the reaction he had been expecting.

Harry gestured toward the confused wizard. "You're admitting you've been wrong this entire time, I already knew that. I don't know what Dumbledore did to you, but I want to know why you thought you could kiss me."

"I thought…" He trailed off.

"You thought wrong!" Harry spat. "I waited Severus; I waited for you for _so_ long! Merlin I was stupid." He stopped and rubbed at his eyes with a shake of his head. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you're alright. I was so fucking worried that you would die. But your confession is a little too late; I've been burned repeatedly by trying to touch you." He laughed weakly. "I've learned my lesson."

Severus stepped forward hurriedly but Harry waved him off and he halted. "Harry, you don't have to do this. I love you now!"

A harsh bark of laughter followed his words as Harry wiped away the bitter tears escaping his glaring eyes. "You are just too much Severus. You think just because you've finally realized your feelings that I'll come back to you with open arms? You're a selfish prick if you really think so. You're obviously in shock still, I understand how – "

"That's not how it is Harry!" Severus argued.

"Why are you doing this now?" Harry asked coldly. "Did the experience in the Shack scare you so much that you think you need to admit some false love to me? Did Dumbledore scare you into it?"

Severus sneered. "Dumbledore did nothing to me."

"Then Remus did." Harry nodded to himself. "I'm glad you're not mentally unstable, because you had me worried there for a second." He backed away. "But I don't want to listen to you anymore."

"Please give me another chance to prove to you how much I love you!" Severus clenched his jaw. "Harry, don't do this to me."

Harry laughed softly. "It's too late Severus, you hurt me too much." He sighed.

"Harry…" Severus said, at a loss.

"You know, I loved you Sev. If it can even be called love, since I'm too young by your standards to know what it is." He smiled sadly. "But it took you too long to figure that out." He turned away. "I'm already gone."

Severus could do nothing as he watched Harry silently walk away from him, never turning and never pausing.

"What have I done?" He whispered.

--- --- ---

_Why the hell did I say that?_ Harry stared at the ground as he walked aimlessly. Quoting the lines from his dream…it was too odd. He ruffled his hair distractedly. _Merlin I'm an idiot. _

He glanced at the torches beginning to flicker out. It was too early to go down to breakfast and too late to go back to bed. Harry shrugged to himself. _Gryffindor_ _Tower_ _it is. Hopefully James is back. _He glanced out of the high windows as he passed. _Maybe even Moony will be back to normal._

Trudging up the stairs he found his way to the Gryffindor portrait in his tired daze. The Fat Lady seemed to be awake and prepared for the day already, something Harry couldn't understand.

Merlin he hated morning people.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he positioned himself in front of the portrait. A suspicious gaze turned down on him.

"Password?"

"_Draconis_." Harry murmured sleepily, he would definitely need an Invigoration Draught if he were to get through the day, or perhaps a simple Pepperup Potion, though he could do without the steam.

The Fat Lady sent him an odd look from the corner of her eye. "Excuse me?" She prompted. "Are you sure you belong in this House?"

Harry blinked in confusion and then realized he had given the Slytherin password, he flushed and shook his head.

"Sorry about that. _Flibbertigibbet_."

She nodded and swung open. "Get some rest young man, you look like hell."

_Thanks a lot._ Harry rolled his eyes and stepped through. As the portrait clicked softly behind him he heard soft murmuring coming from the common room. He stepped a bit quicker and glanced around, realizing there were a lot more people up then there should be this early.

"Er, what's going on?" He frowned.

A seventh year turned toward him. "Two fifth years are fighting, lover's quarrel some say." She whispered.

Harry looked about the room once more and relaxed when he saw a familiar head of messy locks. He shifted through the gathered crowd and managed to make it to his brother's side. He frowned worriedly at the tired look James held.

"You alright there?" He asked.

Hazel eyes blinked in surprise and James smiled wanly as he looked up and saw Harry. "Yeah, just you know," he shrugged, "too much happening all in one night, it's starting to catch up with me."

Harry sighed and fell beside his brother. "What's happening now?" He asked tiredly.

James glanced at him for a moment before turning back toward the stairs. "Moony and Padfoot are arguing." He replied distractedly. "You know why."

"Did I miss anything?" Lily whispered as she took the remaining seat next to her boyfriend.

"Not much." James replied, stroking her hair distractedly. "Someone dared Peter to go find out what's happening since he's friends with the blokes." He groaned. "Stupid sod actually tried to do it and came out of the room hexed and covered in boils."

Lily clucked her tongue in annoyance. "He should know better then that. Heartless pig, men never know when to stay out of things that concern the heart."

Harry and James stared at her with worried looks before glancing at each other and shaking their heads.

"Girls." They chuckled.

"Oh shush." Lily lightly slapped James' arm. "They're getting louder."

The air became tense in the common room as everyone looked toward the stairs and listened to the shouts. Harry bit his lip worriedly, knowing what was truly going on.

"You selfish bastard! Didn't you think about me at all?" Remus screamed.

"Moony I'm sorry, truly I am!" Sirius pleaded. "You know I would never hurt you! I care about you too much!"

An incredulous scoff echoed. "Yeah, well you really showed me how much you cared with the little stunt you pulled." The sound of something crashing and shattering against the door made a few people wince.

"Remus! Why the hell are you breaking my things for? That was expensive!"

"Don't come near me you prick, all you care about is yourself!" Remus yelled, his words followed by a loud thump. "That's what you deserve, as though I don't have enough to deal with, you had to go and pull this shit!"

Harry trembled at the rage in Remus' voice; he had always thought the werewolf to be the calm one of the group. But for him to be pushed this far, to be _cursing_, Sirius was going to have to do a lot of groveling to get back on his good side.

"Fuck, I think you bruised my cheek." Sirius complained. "Come on Moony, where are you going, can't we just talk about this?"

A frustrated growl and a few more thumps later Remus answered. "You can talk with my _fist_ Sirius! Merlin, I don't even know what Dumbledore is going to do with me. Thanks a lot for ruining my life!"

Everyone scattered as they heard the heavy footsteps coming down. Remus appeared and scowled at the audience they had acquired.

"No one talk to me, any comments you have, go shove them up your arse." He glowered before storming toward James and Harry. "Lily, if you would excuse us." He murmured politely. A Silencing Charm flickered around them as Remus angrily whipped out his wand upon her departure.

He stared down at the two Potters as he towered over them, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His face was pale, scratches littering his cheeks and dark circles shadowing his eyes, he had obviously stormed the Tower before visiting Madam Pomfrey.

"Tell me that you had nothing to do with his stupidity." He whispered, amber eyes flashing momentarily.

James shook his head. "We didn't know anything about it Remus, and if I had I wouldn't have let him go through with it."

Harry nodded beside him. "He tried to lock me in the dorm so that I wouldn't be able to stop Severus from going to the Whomping Willow. He wasn't thinking straight Remus; he must have concocted his stupid idea that day we had all been talking." He looked up imploringly. "Remember the day he stormed out? We should have stopped him then."

"It can't be helped." Remus muttered, glancing away.

James stood and placed a comforting arm around his shoulders. "Are you alright Moony?"

Remus shook his head. "I don't know what I'm going to do." He whispered. "I'm probably going to be expelled, not to mention Snape's going to tell the school what I am."

"He won't!" Harry protested. "Dumbledore made sure that he wouldn't."

The two Marauders looked at the Slytherin mutely for a moment before Remus glanced away. "I think you should go Harry." A sad chuckle escaped his pale lips. "I don't want to force you into choosing sides."

"But Remus – "

"It's alright Harry; I'll take care of him." James reassured. "Why don't you head to breakfast while we clean up."

Harry nodded before remembering something. "Oh, Dumbledore said he'll probably talk to you." He said to James. "Both of you most likely." He corrected as a second thought.

The two nodded. "Thanks bro." James replied.

"Mm hm." Harry moved away from them, breaking the Silencing Charm as he made his way toward the portrait, wincing as he was suddenly bombarded by a mass of voices.

_This is turning out to be a sucky day._ He groaned as he realized it was early morning and time for breakfast.

Thank Merlin it was Saturday.

--- --- ---

"What the fuck – " Harry yelled out as he was slammed into the wall on his way to the dungeons, he felt a fist tangle in his shirt as he dizzily focused on the figure before him.

It wasn't Severus this time.

"Malfoy." He hissed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He tried to lash out with his free arm, but was abruptly stopped by an even tighter hold.

"Pretty little Potter, wandering the halls all alone." The blonde smirked and shook his head. "Not very smart little one, especially when people are out to get you."

"Are you sick in the head Malfoy? Let me go, you're acting crazy and I don't have time to deal with you." Harry pushed away from the stones. "I already have too much to deal with."

Malfoy clucked his tongue disapprovingly and used his body to pin Harry against the wall with a dark chuckle. "Did I say you could leave Potter?" He leaned in and breathed against the tense neck of his prey, slowly wrapping his fingers around Harry's throat. "I'm not finished playing with you."

Harry's eyes widened as he clenched his teeth and forced himself not to panic. "What do you want?" He managed to growl.

"Very good Harry, I thought you would never ask." Grey eyes flashed silver. "I have a slight problem, my young friend. You see, for a few weeks – I won't bother telling you how many I'm sure you know – I have suffered the effects of a certain unknown curse."

_Oh crap, is he still sore about that?_

Harry chuckled lightly. "Well everyone enjoys a little prank here or there – "

"It was a month of _hell_!" Lucius hissed, squeezing Harry's neck to remind him of his place. "Do you know how tempted I am to snap your little neck?"

Harry struggled furiously as the hand on his throat tightened; his eyes squeezed shut in pain_. Damn Malfoy!_ He opened his mouth in a silent scream, making short coughing noises.

"But it would raise questions if you suddenly disappeared." Lucius continued, not bothering to loosen his hold.

Frantic hands scratched at the choking hold as Harry feebly kicked out, thumping against the wall.

"_Master?_" A concerned hiss reached his ears.

_Yes! Please, help me!_ He silently pleaded.

One of the heads rose from his robes and hissed warningly before striking at the flesh in its reach. Lucius screamed in pain as he ripped away his hand and unceremoniously dropped Harry to the floor.

"You little brat!" Lucius snarled, clutching at his bleeding wrist.

Harry coughed and rubbed his soar neck as he winced up at the blonde. "You had better hope Critic didn't bite you, his fangs are extremely poisonous." He said hoarsely.

Grey eyes narrowed in on the Runespoor hissing menacingly up at him from Harry's neck. "You think your little snake can protect you? I _gave_ it to you!"

"My friend _will_ help me." Harry growled. "Leave Malfoy, before you make me angry." He warned. "I swear I'll tell a Professor what you tried to do and then you'll be expelled."

"Well then I'll make sure you never get in my way again you little pest." Lucius grinned manically as his wand was slowly drawn.

Harry began to back away, eyes wide. "Malfoy, what are you trying to – "

"_Avada_ _Kedavra_!"

_Oh shit!_ Harry mentally screamed as he futilely shielded his face against the green light charging toward him.

"_Master!_"

The bowed head shot up, eyes wide in surprise, just as the orange body of the Runespoor leaped in front of him. The squeal of pain as the body fell would haunt Harry forever, the three headed snake didn't die as one body might, but one being at a time as each head was put through the agony of death.

"_No._" Harry hissed in shock. "No!" He roared.

Magic erupted from him wandlessly and uncontrolled. His eyes flashed the same green that had taken the life of his snake; his teeth were bared in a feral snarl, his rage licking off him as it tangled with his power.

"You _bastard_!" He screamed, lunging at the blonde.

Lucius didn't have time to escape the enraged youth, he cried out as he was knocked onto his back and immediately pummeled by furious fists. Harry scratched and punched as fiercely as he could; wanting to relay all the hurt and anger he was feeling.

Malfoy. _Punch._ Had. _Scratch._ Killed. _Kick._ His. _Bite._ Snake!

"You'll pay Malfoy!" Harry howled, tangling his fingers in the long hair splayed out underneath a panicking Lucius. He viciously rammed Lucius' head against the ground, screaming along with the blonde.

"Harry!"

He turned toward his name, his vision smeared dizzily with his sorrow and tears.

Severus.

"What do you want?" He yelled, pushing away from Lucius and moving toward his fallen comrade. "Have you come to step on my heart too?"

Lucius looked from Severus to Harry with wide eyes and then scrambled to his feat and managed to run with his limping leg.

Harry remained silent, not noticing, nor caring that his prey had escaped. He gently kneeled next to the Runespoor and stroked the smooth head with the tips of trembling fingers.

"Harry, what happened?" Severus looked about the hall in confusion, he had been on his way to breakfast and it was only by chance that he had run into the two Slytherins.

"Leave me alone, you're just like him." Harry whispered, trying to ignore the dark presence. "Everything you say is a lie."

Severus moved closer. "Harry let me help you, you're in no condition to – "

"No!" Harry screamed, cradling the body of his lost friend closer to his chest. "I don't need your sympathy." He hissed. "Just get away from me Snape."

"Harry." He frowned indecisively.

"Go." Harry glared over his shoulder, tears blurring his vision.

Severus stood still for a moment more before huffing angrily and storming off. Harry watched the retreating figure numbly.

_Why did this have to happen?_ He glanced down at the unmoving snake in his hands. _My friend… _He closed his eyes tightly to stave off the tears threatening to escape. _Merlin it's not fair!_

He dropped the Runespoor and quickly pulled out his wand before he lost his resolve.

"_Incendio_!"

Flames crackled around the scales and slowly the tiny flame ate away at the body. Harry listlessly watched as his beloved snake was put to rest, he sniffed and dug through his cloak for something to be transfigured. He found a loose piece of string and touched his wand to the dull thread. A tap and a muttered incantation later, he held a small silver locket.

"_Wingardium_ _Leviosa_." He flicked his wand at the ashes. They slowly floated upward and he directed his wand toward the locket. Once all the remains had settled into the silver case, he closed the miniature clasp and slipped the chain around his neck.

He choked brokenly as he slowly stood.

_This is officially the worst day of my life._

* * *

AN: Some people thought Lucius was too accepting of his fate, so this is for u peoples. :_cries_: I hope you're happy! Wah, Runespoor! I liked Critic the most, oh well. I drew a pic of them so go look, grr.

-Red


	34. Take My Pain Away

AN: This is the ending! Well, next chap is actually. It might not seem like it, but I _will_ be able to piece everything together into a semblance of happiness. Hehe, hopefully. Oh, and I put this up without giving it to Zoomi first, so mistakes r mine, sorry!

* * *

Harry stared across the student body through dull eyes. What was the point of even showing up for meals? It wasn't as though he ate anything, nor did he speak to anyone, he was too depressed. He sighed as he shifted his food around dully in his boredom. He wanted to stay in his bed and ignore the world.

His eyes unwillingly searched for Severus and locked onto the wizard, without Malfoy by his side he was pretty much a loner as Harry was now.

Two days had passed since the Shrieking Shack incident and the killing of the Runespoor.

Two very testing days.

Sirius had been "suspended" because of his stupidity; he was at the moment on lockdown and stuck inside his dorm for the rest of the year. No Hogsmeade visits, no Quidditch games, all his meals were to be taken in his room. The only time he was able to leave was during class, and even then there was usually a Gryffindor Prefect following him under McGonagall's orders.

The only good part about his punishment was that it was so late in the year, so he really only had to suffer for two months tops. His real punishment was the cold shoulder Remus had been giving him since the incident.

Luckily the young werewolf hadn't been put to blame or punished, since he had no memory of the incident except what James had relied to him. He was going to be put on a closer watch though, so nothing similar could take place.

The Marauders were suffering a low blow with their members being so on edge around each other. Sirius and Remus were still fighting over the Shrieking Shack "_thing_", as Sirius called it. Peter was sore about being hexed so he was off doing whatever it was he did. And James, ever the leader, was trying to work out everyone's differences and get his friends talking again.

So far it wasn't working.

Lucius Malfoy had not gone unpunished either. Harry had of course reported what had happened to Dumbledore, though the Headmaster had informed him that he had already known about the Unforgivable being used and had been about to punish Lucius the way he saw fit.

The Ministry could not be involved because Lucius was still apparently a minor; he had a birthday late in the year, so he was legally a child despite his seventh year status. A letter had been sent home, though Harry doubted if the Malfoys would even care, they would probably be proud of their son. Punishment had also been dealt out, and the blonde would not be graduating with his class, he would be home schooled for the remainder of the year.

He was _not_ very happy when he left, to say the least. If anyone were to say more, they would tell you how the Slytherin had exploded and gone Harry-hunting after having been told the "bad news" about his expulsion. Luckily Harry was nowhere near the temperamental wizard when he had been dragged away by his enraged father.

It had been a very interesting year, so much had happened! Harry fingered the silver locket that hung loosely around his neck. He would most definitely remember this year and all the excitement, whether that was a good or bad thing, Harry wasn't too sure.

What he did know, was that he didn't want to see Severus anymore. It wasn't that he hated the boy, far from it, but every time he looked at the hooked nose teen, his emotions would spiral and confuse him. He strangely had fallen in love – if it could really be called that – but he hated Severus for not taking his feelings seriously in the beginning.

Harry had finally gotten his love confession in the end, the emotions he had always hoped Severus would return, were in fact returned. It seemed he had just needed a push in the right direction to confess his feelings.

They had the chance to be happy, to forget everything that had happened in the past. But it hurt too much to let go so easily. Harry didn't want to take anymore chances; his heart had already been ripped out before his eyes.

There was also the slight fear that Severus was lying to him, because he had changed his tune of denial at the snap of the fingers. It was too surreal that he was finally giving in to Harry, that he was going to commit to a relationship between them.

_I can't brood for the rest of my life._ Harry glanced toward his battered roast and stabbed it again for good measure. _I need to decide what I'm going to do. _

He needed to forget, that was the only thing stopping them from happiness. No, forgetting wasn't that easy, and Severus would never want anything to do with Harry.

_Merlin, what am I going to do?_ Harry stared across the sea of faces and locked on a set of depressed eyes that looked similar to his own.

Remus. He was the perfect candidate; he would be able to help him with his plan. It was done, his decision made. He was tired of the tense separation between himself and Severus. If he couldn't have Severus for himself, then…no, he wouldn't think about it.

He would take care of things once and for all.

--- --- ---

Harry stepped through the portrait of the Fat Lady and adjusted his tie, having just snuck inside behind a few first-years. Okay, so he hadn't really snuck in. He had taken one of the little brats captive and told the friends to take him to Gryffindor Tower or else he would do terrible Slytherin things to the boy. After some screaming and failed hexes by the Gryffindors, they had agreed.

He scanned the common room, seeing the usual scattered groups of people. James and Lily were surprisingly not present, but it didn't matter, he wasn't looking for them.

"Remus." He murmured, spying his prey. He stepped forward confidently, luckily the Gryffindor was engrossed in his book, he would be caught unaware.

_Now think about this Harry, do you really want to go through with this? It's your last chance to back out._

He stepped up beside the werewolf, casting a slight shadow over the pages and catching the teen's attention. He wouldn't turn back, he needed to do this. Remus glanced up and his eyes took on a curious light.

"Remus, I need you to help me one last time." Harry whispered, eyes shadowed by his hair.

"What?" The Gryffindor glanced around himself warily. "Have you spoken to James already? I'm sure he could help you."

Harry smiled slightly. "No, you're the smart one Moony. I know you're the one who does all the spells behind the scenes during your pranks."

"What do you need me to do?" Remus frowned, curiosity peeked.

There was a grin. "You're good with Charms right?" Harry lifted his head, eyes shining brightly.

--- --- ---

"Have you seen Harry?" James asked Lily as he sat beside her in the library.

The witch glanced up from her Potions book with a slight frown. "_No_." She said carefully. "Is he missing?"

"I haven't seen him at all today, and he wasn't at lunch either." James ruffled his hair distractedly with his nerves.

"Okay, calm down, because _I_ saw him at lunch." Lily said calmly. "Don't worry James, we'll find him. Have you asked Sirius or Remus? Perhaps they're out trying to prank someone."

He shook his head. "I don't think Padfoot and Remus have made up yet." He admitted. "So I'm not too sure about the prank theory."

"What about Peter?" Lily pushed her book to the side.

"Harry doesn't really like Pete." James admitted with a sheepish smile. "I don't know why, he just never took to the bloke."

Lily frowned. "Hm, interesting. Do you usually see him between classes?"

James fidgeted in his seat. "Yes, I've taken to walking him to some of them. He hasn't been to class; I skipped one of my lessons and checked."

The witch clucked disapprovingly at his skipping of class, but it seemed his worry had rubbed off on her. "You don't think this has anything to do with Severus do you?"

"Snape?" James grimaced. "Merlin, I hope not. That's all we need on top of the shit that's already going on."

"Language." Lily chided distractedly as she thought. "Maybe he's with his friends? Playing hooky?"

James smiled sadly. "Harry's a bit of a loner; he doesn't have any best friends."

The chime for their next class sounded and Lily shook her head with irritation. "Come on, it's time for class." She gathered up her bag. "I'm sure we'll find him before dinner if you're that worried."

James nodded reluctantly and followed his girlfriend to their next class.

--- --- ---

"You want me to do _what_?" Remus spluttered. "Harry, that's uncalled for, it's too much!"

Harry glanced around them in case of witnesses, seeing as they were out in the courtyard when they should have been in class. He turned back toward the fidgeting werewolf with a tired air once he figured the area clear. "I want it to end this way Remus, I can't take anymore of the separation."

"Harry, you aren't thinking clearly." Remus shook his head. "This _isn't_ the way things should end. You need to talk to Snape, work everything out between the two of you."

"You don't understand, he admitted he loved me, he told me he did!" Harry clutched his chest.

Remus paused. "But that's wonderful Harry, isn't that what you wanted?"

"No!" Harry cried. "I don't want his confession to be based on a night of terror. He told me after he had returned from the Shrieking Shack, that kind of experience would scare anybody into admitting something."

He suddenly found himself encompassed in a tight hug and he blinked in surprise.

"Harry, why does it matter how he told you, if the emotions are real?" Remus asked gently. "He loves you, I can sense it, it was muddled before, he was so confused because he was afraid of admitting to himself that he was gay."

Harry lifted his chin curiously. "You could sense that?" He asked in awe.

Remus smiled. "Yes, canines have a strange empathy toward humans, werewolves are no exceptions." He sighed. "Plus, I was the same way when I first started dating Sirius so I know how he feels."

"What?" Harry spluttered. "You were a bastard to Sirius?"

A soft chuckle escaped Remus' grin. "I wouldn't say I was a _bastard_. But I _was_ a bit strict with him; he was always throwing himself on me when we were alone, in public too for that matter. I never took it as his way of flirting because he was always a ladies man." He shook his head at the memory. "Those were good times."

The Slytherin stared at his friend after this admittance and Remus shifted uncomfortably before raising his hand to his face curiously. "_What_, is there something there?" He asked.

"You miss him."

"What?" Remus laughed. "Padfoot? Of course not, he was a bastard to me; he's always put his pranks first. This was simply the last straw, it's not as though it wasn't foreseen, and our relationship has always been a bit strained."

Harry smirked confidently. "You miss him, even though he was a right arse to you. That's how love is; you can't help thinking about them, even in the hardest of times."

Remus remained silent and looked away. "This isn't about me Harry," he looked up with a hard glint to his eyes, "I don't feel right doing this, I can't."

"Remus, I need this. _Please_, why can't you help me?" He frowned with a hurt expression.

"Harry, I can't." Remus protested again. "James would kill me if he found out."

Harry threw his wand to the ground with a sharp clatter as his temper peaked. "Will you stop being a fucking _coward_ Remus!" He looked away, breathing harshly as he shook. "It's always about James! Everyone is always afraid of making him angry! I fucking hate it!" He glared. "You know what, forget it, it's clear that you're James' lapdog, I'll find someone else."

He turned and began walking away with stiff legs, a soft hand on his sleeved halted him and he looked up into sad eyes of amber.

"I'll help you Harry." Remus whispered.

The Slytherin nodded slowly, in tired relief as he bowed his head. "Thank you."

Remus shifted through his robes for his wand and shakily pulled it out, staring at it in quiet fascination, not quite believing he was about to do this.

"Are you positive about this?" He asked for the last time.

Harry smiled, closing his eyes in expectance. "I'm sure, and thank you Remus."

The amber eyed teen raised his wand and pointed at the young Potter sadly. "I'm sorry Harry."

"I forgive you…"

"_Obliviate_!"

* * *

AN: If everyone reviews I'll update faster! I'm so mean, I luv u guys though!

**Here's the deal peeps, there r going to be two endings, a happy one and then mine. I hope u read both, but if not, have fun with the one u choose.**

-Red


	35. Future Happiness

**Read This!**

**This is the happy ending; there are no warnings because it's Romance! Okay, mebe a smudge of angst, but I think the sappiness makes up for it. If you want my ending go to the next chap! If not, enjoy! **

* * *

"_I don't want to be separated from him, and the only way for me to get over everything he's done to me is to forget." He lifted Remus' wand and placed it at his temple. "So help me forget Moony." _

Remus shook his head, running nervous fingers through his tawny hair. He had too much to deal with these days and it was starting to get to him. He continued to sit in silence, reliving the previous moments, still not quite sure they were real.

"_A Memory Charm?" The werewolf demanded. "Do you know how dangerous that could be? What if I erase the wrong memories?" _

"_I trust you Remus."_

"He trusts me." Remus scoffed and laughed bitterly. "I don't know if I've helped or harmed in this case." _Why must everything be so confusing?_ He sighed.

"_How much of this year do you want to erase?" Remus shifted nervously, wary of the response. _

_Harry didn't disappoint him. _

"_I don't want to forget this year." His eyes grew sad. "I want to forget Severus." _

"Merlin, how could I be so stupid as to help him?" Remus groaned. "Why did I think this would help?" He angrily stood and looked around, there was nobody, he sighed as he remembered everyone would still be in class. Harry had run off soon after the casting of the spell, he hadn't remembered why he wasn't in class or why he was with Remus, just that he was going to lose points if he didn't get to Transfiguration.

"_How is that going to help you Harry?" Remus tried to change his mind. "That will only make Severus suffer, and I know you wouldn't want that." _

_Harry smiled softly. "I'm kind of hoping I'll fall in love with him again." He admitted. "The chances – I know – are against me, the likelihood of us 'falling in love again' is slim to nothing. But I have hope. And I have faith in Severus; if he cares then he won't give up on me so easily." _

"_Harry…" Remus frowned doubtfully. "Are you sure you should put so much trust in Severus, I've known him longer then you, and he doesn't seem like the type to – " _

"_I know him Remus." Harry interrupted. "I will answer for my own decisions, so you don't have to worry about me. All you need to do is get me started." He smiled disarmingly again. _

Remus walked towards the castle with a heavy sigh, his eyes glued to the path distractedly. He needed to tell James what had happened, the elder Potter had to know about the situation before he found out from someone else.

"Okay, right now he should be in…Divination." He muttered to himself as he hurried his pace. "I can't do anything at the moment so I'll just have to wait for him in the dorm."

"Wait for who?" A voice asked softly.

The Gryffindor paused and looked up in surprise; he hadn't expected to see any students at this time, though he had to be honest with himself, a lot of people skived off on a regular basis. Especially the person in front of him.

"Sirius." He stopped in surprise and stared at his ex. "What are you doing here?" He murmured.

Padfoot scuffed his shoe as he shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "I was just taking a walk." He replied airily.

Remus arched a brow. "You were taking a walk." He repeated doubtfully as he crossed his arms. "During class? What's your real reason Padfoot, you know you can never lie to me."

"I was looking for you." Sirius blurted, he flushed in embarrassment. "Damn it, I'm supposed to be this cool guy that can get anyone he wants, but when I'm with you I loose my nerve." He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Remus, I can't stand this separation anymore."

There was a hurt frown. "Well then you should have thought of the consequences of your actions before you had gone through with them." Remus said. "I don't want to get hurt again."

"I won't hurt you! I love you!" Sirius exclaimed. "Would I ditch class and hunt you down if I didn't?"

Remus shrugged. "You could have been pranking someone for all I know Sirius, I don't claim to know how your mind works." _Please, just leave me alone, I don't want to hurt you. _

"You know that's not true Moony." Sirius grew somber as he bowed his head. "I was a bastard, a prick, a complete _arse_, whatever you want to call me, I acted towards you." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm fucking _sorry_ Remus; I never meant to put you in that situation."

The werewolf paused and really looked at his fellow Marauder, he was looking a bit worse for wear, not his usual radiant self. Sirius' eyes had slight shadows beneath them, and it even seemed that the blue orbs had taken on a gray tinge, not to mention his hair wasn't as glossy as it usually was. Remus mentally cried. "You really are sorry aren't you." He whispered.

"Yes." Sirius said eagerly, stepping forward with hope. "You can't imagine how sorry I am."

"I think I can." Remus bowed his head. _What I'm about to do is hard enough as it is._ "Sirius, I think we should take a break."

Padfoot was shocked to say the least. "A break?" He blinked. "But, Remus, why?"

"I don't want to be anything more then friends Padfoot, at least for now. I need time to think about us being _us_ again." His eyes were sad. "It's either that or nothing."

Sirius seemed that he was about to protest but Remus stopped him.

"Friends?" He held out his hand hopefully.

Sirius stared at the hand before he slowly took it and squeezed. "Friends."

--- --- ---

"So why are we waiting for Prongs?" Sirius asked as he spread out on the Gryffindor couch, he was surprisingly taking Remus' suggesting very well and didn't bring it up again.

Remus continued to pace. "I've done something really stupid." He admitted. "I wasn't thinking straight, actually I was thinking more with my heart then anything, so I suppose I wasn't _too_ stupid when I – "

"Calm down Moony!" Sirius chuckled slightly and sat up. "Take a breath and try again."

There was a heavy exhale. "I cast a Memory Charm on Harry." He blurted.

"You what!" Sirius jumped to his feet, eyes wide. "As in _Obliviate_, no more memories, the whole bit?"

Remus winced and nodded. "Yes."

"Bloody hell, James is going to kill you." He laughed and fell back onto the couch.

"You're supposed to help me!" Remus cried. "He's going to be pissed once he finds out that I hexed his brother!"

The soft click of the portrait had both heads turning in question. James sauntered into the room with his bag thrown over his shoulder and a quirk to his eyebrows.

"I hope you're not talking about me and _my_ little brother." He said as he threw down his bag. "Because I really don't want to have to hex one of my mates for something so trivial, especially when Harry comes running to me telling on you."

"No worries there mate; Harry's not going to be remembering anything at all." Sirius laughed, Remus shot him a glare.

James turned a questioning look onto his friend. "Where've you been? Both of you for that matter, you weren't in Divination with me." He sat next to Padfoot. "It was such a bore! You should have told me and I would have gone with you."

Sirius smirked. "I was looking for Remus. Moony here, well, I'll let him tell you himself." He stood and stretched with a slight pop to his back. "I'm going up to take a quick kip, it's Potions next, no point in showing up really."

"Thanks a lot Padfoot." Remus muttered as the Animagus skipped the length of stairs. Perhaps Sirius wasn't taking their agreement as well as he had first thought, because this was revenge if anything.

"So, why and how did you hex Harry?" James got right to the point.

The werewolf shifted nervously, tugging at the cuffs of his robes. "First of all, he asked me to do it James, so don't think I did it for my own amusement or something of the sort." He rolled his eyes, finally succumbing to his fate. "I cast a Memory Charm on Harry."

James laughed. "No really, what did you do?"

The amber gaze remained serious. "He's forgotten everything that he asked me to erase. I'm not too bad at Charms, so he came to me for help."

"What do you mean he's forgotten everything?" James demanded, suddenly feeling uneasy about the situation.

Remus glared and adjusted his robes. "I _mean_, he's forgotten everything." He sighed and shook his head. "Everything about Severus Snape that is."

James leaned forward in shock. "_What_?"

"What do you want to hear James? Do you want me to tell you everything?" Remus paused in the fiddling of his tie and looked toward the other Gryffindor. "How Harry came to me, looking for an escape? He wanted to forget Prongs, so I helped him."

"By performing a _Memory Charm_?" The elder Potter exclaimed. "Wasn't that a bit much? I mean, what if you had put too much force into it and he had forgotten everything?"

There was a sigh and Remus went back to fixing his robes to distract himself. "I know James, I tried to stop him, I argued with him, and explained how it was a bad idea." He turned and looked regretful. "But he wanted to go through with it despite everything. Love is a fickle matter, you know that."

"Yeah," James murmured, "I do."

--- --- ---

"Snape, I need to talk to you for a moment."

Severus slowly turned toward the leader of the Marauders, having been interrupted from his self-loathing. He scowled. "Potter."

James sighed. "I'm not here to hex you if that's what you're thinking." He glared. "It's about Harry."

"What about him Potter, afraid that I will rape him of his innocence? That I will turn him into a Death Eater? That I will turn him against _you_?" He demanded. "I've heard the whispers, I know your fears."

There was a tense silence as James fought to hold back his rage at the familiar taunting, something about Snape always got on his nerves.

He shook it off and glared at the triumphant smirk being shot his way. "I came to give you a bit of advice Snape, stay away from him."

Severus scowled at the underlining threat. "I think I am within my own rights to see Harry if I wish it, he is in my House after all. He – "

"Won't remember you." James said.

There was a moment of silence before Severus found his tongue.

"What?" He demanded. "What do you mean he won't remember me?"

James flicked his hair from his eyes distractedly. "Have you ever heard of the spell, Obliviate?"

"You actually went that far?" Severus choked; everything was rushing up at once, he was close to breaking down at the unfairness of it all. "You hate me so much that you erased his _memories_ of me?"

"No, he did that himself." James replied darkly. "_You_ pushed him that far, so far that he didn't want to remember you at all."

Severus backed away. "I did no such thing." He whispered as he turned and began to hurriedly retreat. "I did no such thing!"

James watched sadly. He had the entire summer to mull over everything, the year was practically over.

--- --- ---

"Hey James, do you have my trunk?" A muffled voice shouted from under the bed.

James' popped his head through the doorway and glanced around. "Nope." He replied, stepping into the messy room.

"I can't find the damned thing!" Irritation now laced the voice.

"Did you ask Padfoot?" James snatched a comb on the dresser and walked out without waiting for a response.

A huff and a loud thump was heard. "No, I can't find him, have _you_ seen him? James? Damn you! Thanks a lot for helping!"

"Hey mini James, someone put your trunk in my room." Sirius' voice interrupted his cursing. "Do you want it, or am I going to be able to pack extra supplies?" He teased.

"Leave it!" Harry yelled as he crawled out from under the bed, there were clumps of dust in his hair and his cheeks were flushed. "I've been looking for it."

Sirius clucked his tongue at Harry's new look. "What were you doing under there?" He chuckled. "Have you finally taken my advice and decided to become a traveling circus performer?"

Harry stared at his brother's friend as though he were crazy, which he probably _was_. "What does that have to do with me being under my bed?"

"Nothing at all!" Sirius cackled madly as he left. "By the way, have you seen James?" He called from the hallway. "We're going to miss the train if we don't hurry!"

"He was just in here!" Harry began tossing random items into his open trunk. "He probably went back to your room to finish packing!" He called over his shoulder.

There was a loud thump and a groan as someone obviously fell down. "Found him!" Sirius yelled.

Harry rolled his eyes and threw a few more of his belongings into the trunk; he slammed the lid with a satisfied sigh and struggled to lock it while he sat on its top to keep it closed. "Finished!"

"Us too." James appeared in his doorway again, Sirius pushed him further in as he attempted to see Harry.

"Prongs, are little boy is growing up!" He pretended to cry. "He's a fourth-year now; his life is going to be so much different from last year." He wailed. "He's practically an adult!"

Harry perked up at that. "Is it really that different?"

"No." James laughed and pushed Sirius out of the room. "Come on, Mum and Dad are going to take us to the Platform."

"I don't know if I have everything though…" Harry glanced around his room hesitantly.

James clapped him on his back and helped drag his trunk out. "You'll be fine Harry, don't worry."

--- --- ---

"Remus!" Sirius cheered as he spied their lycanthrope friend. The amber eyed teen turned with a tired smile upon seeing the three.

"Hello." He greeted.

Sirius scoffed. "That's no way to say hello Moony, we haven't seen each other all summer!" He squealed in a bad imitation of a girl and held out his arms. "Group hug!"

Harry and James tried to scurry away from his hands but they soon found themselves gasping for breath alongside Remus.

"Padfoot!" Remus protested.

"Let us go or you're going to kill us before we even get back to Hogwarts!" James threw his head back and sobbed through his gasping laughter.

Harry laughed as he struggled to breathe. "I don't want to die a fourth-year!"

Sirius let them go and they all fell to the ground on their arses. "You lot are no fun." He grabbed his trunk and began to tug it toward the train.

James and Remus laughed as he pretended to ignore them. Harry on the other hand had paused to watch a group of Slytherins heading their way; he could tell what House they were in because Regulus was tagging along with them. His attention had been caught by a sallow skinned boy with a hooked nose and narrowed eyes; his hair was lanky and looked slightly greasy as it brushed his shoulders.

_Whose that?_ He frowned. _Is he a transfer student, because I don't think I've ever seen him before._

"Harry, what are you looking at…" James scowled as he saw who was approaching. "What do _you_ prats want?" He crossed his arms with a glare.

"Nothing Pothead." One of the Slytherins laughed at James' growled.

The teen Harry had his eyes on sneered with the rest of his buddies. "What's wrong Potter? Have you lost your girlfriend?" He laughed. "Have to settle for _this_ one in her stead?" He pointed toward Remus with disgust.

"At least I have a girlfriend Snape." James spat.

Dark eyes narrowed. "Watch yourself Potter; I haven't forgotten what happened last year." He began to walk away. "If I were you I would watch my back unless you want your little pet to suffer the brunt of my anger."

James fumed, trembling in his rage. Remus watched everything with silent eyes and sighed to himself as he pulled James out of his stupor. "Come on let's go, I'm sure Sirius has saved us a compartment." He sent a sad look toward Harry, who remained in a daze as he stood. "I'll explain everything once we get inside."

--- --- ---

"He _what_?" James gasped in shock. "Why would he do something like that?"

Remus looked toward Harry and James' eyes lit in recognition. "Ah, I forgot about that." He muttered ruefully, he lowered his voice. "But why would Snape erase his memories? Is this like a Slytherin conspiracy or something?"

"I'm just telling you what I heard James, Severus apparently created a potion over the summer and dosed himself with it. In my opinion he's become a bit more open, if you could call it that and he doesn't remember a thing about Harry, don't you find that odd that they both chose the same fate?"

"Very romantic." James muttered sarcastically. "I think it's codswallop. Okay, so he didn't pay attention to Harry on the Platform, that means nothing." He said stubbornly. "Until I see some hard proof I refuse to believe that this is anything but a bad joke."

--- --- ---

"Okay, now I think this is a _really_ bad joke." James muttered as he set down his fork at dinner later that night. "They didn't even acknowledge each other! It's as though they don't know the other one exists!"

Remus silently chewed his mouthful of lamb; he swallowed and wiped his mouth with a shrug. "I told you Prongs, they both have started over."

Sirius reached between them and snagged the basket of rolls. "It's sad in a way; they have a chance to be happy and all that mushy stuff. But they probably will never 'meet' the way they had before and fall in love." He stuffed his mouth and continued talking. "They'll live a life of unhappiness and then marry some bird, who will end up getting fat and sitting around doing nothing with their – hey James, speaking of which, how's Lily?"

"Shut it you arse!" James smacked him over the head. "What if she had heard you?"

He glanced down the table and was met by a pair of flaming orbs; apparently Lily had very good hearing. He smiled and waved, cooling her scowl a bit.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Remus prodded, bringing James' attention back to their conversation.

James held up his hands. "Nothing, I am going to do absolutely _nothing_." He pointed out his brother. "Look at him, Harry's happy the way he is now, why would I want him throwing himself on Snape when he's already got everything he wants?"

"That's not true Prongs." Sirius appeared again. "You saw him over summer, he was _happy_, sure, but there was something missing. His smile didn't reach his eyes you know?"

Remus gave him a pointed look. "You see James, even when Harry has been stripped of his memories; he still feels the same emotions." He shrugged. "You never know, perhaps they're soul mates."

"Ah Moony, not that again." James grimaced. "I don't want to know if Harry is bound to Snape, it's disturbing."

There was a shrug. "It's something you must accept; plenty of wizards have soul mates." Remus smiled. "I'm sure Lily is yours."

James blushed and looked away with a slight mutter.

"So I'll ask you again James." Remus leaned his head on his hand as he looked toward his confused friend. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll do whatever makes Harry happy."

--- --- ---

"What do you need help with? This _again_? Harry, Transfiguration isn't really as hard as you're making it out to be."

Harry scowled down at his book and then back at his brother. "So says you." He muttered reproachfully. "I don't understand why we have to make turtles into teapots! If I was a turtle, I wouldn't want to be a _teapot_!"

"I don't think they mind too much." James shrugged. "And for all you know, those turtles could be spoons transfigured to _look_ like turtles. It's a vicious circle Harry, you have to get used to it." He paused to see that the Slytherin wasn't listening anymore.

He sighed when he realized Harry was staring down at his book, but his eyes were elsewhere. James discretely followed his gaze and he silently groaned.

Snape.

The year had passed somewhat smoothly, so far there had been no "Snape" incidents, though Harry did have a tendency to watch the older wizard. And if James was being completely honest – he could be on occasion – he had caught Snape staring too. It was getting close to Halloween, Harry's favorite time of the year; James was going to do something for the younger wizard, something that would make him happy.

James looked at his little brother and sighed in defeat. It seemed he would never see the two Slytherins apart now that they had found each other; he would have to accept Remus' theory after all. Harry continued to pretend to read, while still glancing out of the corner of his eye at the shadowed wizard sitting by himself.

Well, if Harry was happy…

"What are you looking at?" James leaned forward and whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry jumped in surprise as he was caught staring and turned a glare onto his brother. "What was that for?" He hissed, surreptitiously peeking again to make sure the Slytherin hadn't heard him.

"You were mooning over Snape there." Prongs nodded toward his year mate.

"_That's_ Snape?" Harry asked in surprise. "I can't believe I've never met him even though I'm in the same House! I've heard about a lot him, he's good with Potions isn't he?"

There was a tense smile. "He is." James acknowledged. "You got a crush on him?"

The embarrassed flush Harry's cheeks took on was answer enough for that.

James laughed and pushed his little brother toward the Slytherin. "Go on; ask him out if you fancy him so much." He teased. "I'm sure he'll say yes to a cutie like you."

Harry glared, but moved forward nonetheless. He wasn't afraid of some sixth-year. Severus glanced up from his parchment and stared at Harry's approaching figure. He gulped, okay; maybe he was just a _little_ bit afraid.

He nervously halted beside the table, luckily there weren't any other students about, or this would have been even more difficult.

"Er, hello." Harry muttered, his focus shifting away from the fathomless eyes.

Severus nodded his head silently, eyes piercing through the younger wizard. _What is this fourth-year trying to pull?_ He glanced behind the boy and toward the table he had just been inhabiting with James, the resemblance between the two was uncanny. They were obviously related. _He's probably working for his brother._ His eyes narrowed.

_Why am I being such a Gryffindor?_ Harry sighed and held out his hand confidently. "My name's Harry, Harry Potter. Now I know you'll probably be thrown off by the surname, but please ignore any relatives that I regretfully have." He cracked a smile. "I like you; well I have a bit of a crush on you actually. I was wondering if you would like to…er, goonadatewithmethisweekend?" He rushed through the last part as he lost his nerve.

The dark eyes continued to stare at him and for a moment Harry thought that perhaps the other Slytherin wasn't all there, that thought was quickly displaced as Severus slowly smiled. Harry flinched in surprise, from what he had heard, Snape was always scowling or something of the sort.

"You're interesting." Severus chuckled lightly, he had never met someone with such a lack of tact, yet the young wizard was charming in his own way. He was cute. "I'll go with you to Hogsmeade." He agreed.

Harry's eyes lit up happily. "Really?" He breathed, remembering himself. "O-okay, er, I'll meet you at the carriages around noon? On Saturday?"

Severus nodded. "That's fine." He smirked as Harry returned to his previous table with a bounce to his step. Never before had he opened up so quickly to a stranger, sure the younger Potter was in his House, but that didn't mean he went out on dates with any Slytherin that asked. Not to mention he had only realized his bisexuality over the summer, so perhaps it was a good thing he had met Harry this year.

Harry seemed different from the usual students that plagued the castle. Severus slowly gathered his belongings. Different was good.

--- --- ---

"You look great Severus!" Harry smiled as he saw his date walking toward him. He had gotten up early and dressed to impress, he was waiting beside a carriage toward the back and gestured for the elder teen to enter first.

There was an appreciative chuckle. "If I didn't know any better, I would say I am to be the woman on this date." Severus teased.

Harry's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, I was only trying to be polite, my mum always told me to be nice to girls, and I've never been out with a bloke so I don't know if it would be the – "

"It's fine." Severus cut him off with a slight smirk. "To tell you the truth, I've never gone on a date with a wizard either."

Harry stepped into the carriage with wide eyes. "Really? Wow, it's a good thing that I found you then." He chuckled. "I'm surprised no one has asked you out yet!"

Severus scowled and glared out the window as they began moving. "Are you trying to be funny?" He turned back toward the surprised teen. "Is this your idea of a joke, asking me out on a date?"

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked in surprise. "Why would I think this was a joke?"

"Don't play innocent with me _Potter_." Severus sneered. "Your brother taunts me on a regular basis, laughing at the way I look and my lack of friends. This is probably some well thought out plan between the two of you."

Harry's mouth dropped open and then he glowered. "It's nothing of the sort! I like you, honest to Merlin I do. I've never even seen you since this year!"

Severus felt his temper cooling. "Truly?"

"Yes!" Harry pleaded. "Please don't think I would sink so low as to trick you, you're a very nice looking wizard. Why would you think I was pulling your leg?"

"Not too many people think the way you do Harry, in fact practically no one does." He looked away as they came to a halt. "I have never been told I was attractive unless it was in jest, so to have you seem _happy_ to be with me," he chuckled ruefully, "well I _am_ in Slytherin, I immediately thought the worse."

Harry smiled and shook his head as he slowly leaned forward. "You're beautiful to me Severus." He placed a chaste kiss on the surprised lips.

_This is so right; it feels like I belong here in this moment._ Severus made a slight noise in the back of his throat as Harry pulled away with twinkling eyes.

"I take it you liked that?" He grinned.

Severus cleared his throat; he refused to get all 'lovey dovey' on the first date. "It was nice." His voice came out throatily despite his attempt to clear it. He flushed. _Merlin I am such a girl._

There was a chuckle as Harry opened the door and held out his hand. "We're going to have fun Severus, you watch." He promised as Severus slowly took his hand. "I'm going to make sure you say yes to another date with me."

The pair walked towards Hogsmeade happily, both reminiscing over their first kiss, and both hoping that there would be many more to come.

"Do you want to get a Butterbeer?" Harry asked eagerly. "I've always loved the Three Broomsticks."

Severus nodded. "That would be acceptable." He smirked as he was eagerly pulled down the cobblestone path.

They passed an Asian couple along the street and the girl looked up, watching silently as they passed through dark eyes. Her boyfriend tugged on her Slytherin scarf and she laughed as she turned her attention away.

Severus and Harry continued along the street, hands locked together as they ignored the world around them and simply lived in the moment.

--- --- ---

"What do you want Snape?" James slowly looked up at the scowling Slytherin.

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Why are you allowing this? It's been three weeks since we made our relationship known." He hissed. "Are you planning something? Is _Harry_ planning something?"

James frowned in confusion. "Hold on, what are you talking about?" He set aside the Snitch he had been toying with and turned his whole attention onto his rival. "Are you and Harry fighting?"

"No." The scowl was clearly meant for his last comment. "I want to know why you're so accepting of our relationship. We're enemies Potter, we always have been, why are you letting me stay with Harry? I'm older then him! I'm in Slytherin and he's your younger brother!"

There was a chuckled sigh and James rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Oh Merlin, I don't need this." He smiled and looked Severus in the eye. "Remus is better with this sort of thing, but I suppose I'll have to do."

"What are you talking about?" Severus demanded in irritation.

"You're doubting yourself Snape." James began fidgeting with the Snitch once again. "You're making up excuses, reason why you _shouldn't_ be with my brother. Why don't you think of the reasons you _should_ be with him?" He quirked his lips into a teasing smile. "They won't outweigh the bad I assure you, but just think for a moment."

_What is he on about?_ Severus remained silent. _Does he really expect me to come up with reasons why I should be able to stay with Harry? Not that anyone could separate us if they tried._ He glowered at the thought. _Harry is mine._

"Have you though of any?" James spoke up.

Severus' lips thinned. "No." He growled.

The Gryffindor clapped his hands together. "Then let me give you one." He leaned forward. "I don't complain about you two and I don't try to be the prat older brother because Harry is happy."

"What does that have to do with – "

"You make him smile." James interrupted, explaining as he grew serious. "He's been hurt real bad in the past. I'm hoping you can keep him happy."

Severus looked ready to protest and James held up his hand to pause him.

"Don't get me wrong, I still think you're a bastard." He sighed and shook his head. "But you make Harry happy, so I accept you as his boyfriend."

Severus remained silent as he stared at the Gryffindor. His robes shifted as he stepped away from the bench and he walked away.

_Wonky Gryffindors._ He rolled his eyes, ignoring the feeling of elation in the pit of his stomach.

--- --- ---

The night was calm and heavy with sleep. The Slytherins were all tucked away in their beds, dreaming up new ways to be the sneaky snakes that they were taught to be. One such Slytherin was tossing within his sheets, strange pictures rushing through his dreams.

_He was walking through the hall toward his next class; he rounded the corner, only to collide with a slight body. The two tumbled to the ground, the smaller boy on top of his chest, their lips pressed together. A strange flutter erupted in his stomach, as though someone had released a flock of butterflies within him. _

"_Snape!" The younger wizard squeaked and scrambled away. _

_He scowled, having been caught up in the moment. "Get off Potter." _

_They bickered for a moment and he spat a few more insults for good measure, smirking at the angry expression on the third-year's face. He walked away, having had the last word. As he walked the length of the hall he lifted his fingers to his lips and frowned in confusion at the tingling he felt, and the heat that radiated from his cheeks. _

_-- --_

_Trash littered the ground around him, as he looked up he found he was with the same boy, but for some reason he couldn't remember his name. _

"_Kiss me." The boy locked their fingers together. _

_Surprise flashed through him. Where was he? Why was he continuously finding himself with this young wizard?_

_He was pulled closer, until their chests were pressed together warmly. "I said kiss me." The boy continued, as though he had answered his previous demand. "I know you want to; I can see it in your eyes." _

_Was it really that obvious? Lust rushed through him; he wanted to have this elusive memory to hold onto forever. He suddenly had a pair of heated lips smashed against his own and he moaned at the intimate contact. _

_-- --_

_A mischievous laugh brought him into the next scenario and he had to pause for a second and find his bearings._

"_You poor confused soul, lying to yourself and holding this silly crush on Lily. Why would you want her when you could have me?" The boy slipped closer, running a finger across the robed chest before him. "You're so tense Severus." _

_He froze, feeling the stirring in his groin. Why were the two of them always caught up in heated moments like this? Were they past lovers? Was this a simple dream with no further meaning? _

_He hadn't been paying attention to what the younger boy had been doing because he was soon wrapped up in a gentle and slow kiss. He felt loving hands cupping the back of his neck; he was sliding closer to the edge. If he fell off, he didn't know what would happen. _

_This mysterious creature had entrapped him within a spell of deep emotions. He felt that he truly cared about the happiness of this boy, that he could truly love him. He allowed himself to be swallowed by the kiss._

_Yes…that was it, he lo – _

Severus suddenly jolted out of sleep, body immediately going on high alert as his dark eyes darted about the room in a quick scan. Something was wrong. He looked toward the silent beds around him suspiciously.

"Severus."

He gasped as his gaze shot toward the end of his bed; the whispered voice was coming from the shadows.

"Who's there?" He demanded.

A messy head popped up and a quick smile alleviated his false fears.

"Harry." Severus murmured. "How did you get in here?"

The fourth-year grinned as he slowly crawled onto the bed and slid in next to his boyfriend. He planted a gentle kiss on the pale cheek and winked.

"It's a secret."

Severus smiled and tugged the smaller body onto his chest, feeling a shadow of a past memory poke at his mind. He shook it off and admired the shirtless wizard.

"I suppose you expect to spend the night now that you're here?" He teased playfully.

Harry happily wrapped his arms around the slim chest and pressed his cheek against the heated skin. "Of course." He murmured. "I didn't steal James' cloak for nothing."

"Ah, so your secret is revealed." Severus ran his hand down the smooth back; he smiled as he amused himself with drawing pictures with his finger. It was amazing that something so simple could amuse him.

"I had a dream about you." Harry's voice was soft in the silent room.

"Oh?" Severus cocked a brow though it couldn't be seen. "And what kind of dream was it?"

Harry shifted until his face was pressed against Severus' neck and he playfully nibbled on the juncture between his shoulder blade and throat. "A good dream." Severus twitched at the tickling sensation.

"I had a dream too." Severus groaned as Harry's mouth trailed down to his chest.

"What kind of dream?" Harry grinned cheekily.

Severus smirked. "A good dream."

"Hey! You can't steal my lines!" Harry pouted childishly.

"I can do whatever I want to; I'm your elder so you must respect me." Severus scoffed silently.

Harry stuck out his tongue. "You're two years older." He protested. "That's not much of an elder to me." He sighed happily. "But I will listen to your excuses only because you're my boyfriend and _someone_ must do it."

"What would I do without you?" Severus murmured as he looked into Harry's eyes and gently cupped his cheek. He leaned forward and pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss, running his fingers across the flushed skin. He pulled away and Harry's eyes remained closed, his lips still puckered as though he were still kissing someone.

"You're so beautiful Harry." Severus leaned forward and kissed him again, this time Harry opened his eyes sleepily as he pulled away.

He smiled beautifully up at him, emerald eyes glistening in the moonlight. Severus stroked the boy's hair and the then blinked. Moonlight? They were in the dungeons, there were no windows, he glanced around and scowled.

"Avrey put out your wand and stop staring!" He spat as he snapped the drapes around his bed closed. Merlin, there were Peeping Toms everywhere these days! He turned his attention back onto the lithe body curled around his own; he stroked the soft hair and trailed his fingers down a smooth cheek.

"You make me so happy, I'm glad we found each other." He whispered into the darkness. "Are you happy Harry?"

For a moment he was met with silence and he assumed Harry had drifted off. He sighed and kissed the slumbering boy on his head as he sank beneath the sheets. He blinked in surprise when a gentle hand wrapped around his left and linked their fingers together.

"Harry?"

A flutter of warm air on his cheek made him halt his questioning and Harry's voice floated around him softly.

"Yes Severus, I'm happy."

Severus smiled, a true smile which was hidden in the shadows. He pulled Harry closer to his chest and lovingly kissed his temple.

"I love you Harry." He murmured.

Harry tightened his hand in agreement. "I love you too."

The End

* * *

AN: Happy ending, aw. Take that everyone who doubted me:_laughs_: Thanks go out to everyone who reviewed and read the fic! Sank u! It was fun! Thank u Zoomi for being my beta through the whole thing!

-Red


	36. Forever Ending

**Read This!**

**This is the angst ending; it will include Time Travel, Character Death and lots of Angst! If you want the happy ending go back a chap! If not, enjoy! **

* * *

"_Protego_."

A shield erected around Harry and the Memory Charm bounced off harmlessly.

Harry and Remus turned toward the firm voice in both fear and shock. The Gryffindor slowly lowered his wand, face drawn and pale.

"Professor." He whispered.

Dumbledore smiled calmly. "I believe you have class Mr. Lupin." He said gently.

Remus looked from Harry to the Headmaster. "I…" He trailed off helplessly as he bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

"It is quite alright." Dumbledore nodded knowingly. "I shall take care of Mr. Potter now."

The tawny haired wizard inclined his head. "I'll see you later Harry." He whispered.

Harry remained silent, shoulders shaking as he stared at the ground angrily. _Why? Why did Dumbledore have to come, how did he know?_ He fumed.

"Mr. Potter, if you would accompany me to my office, I think there is something we must discuss." The Headmaster murmured politely.

The Slytherin remained silent and cool, his expression remaining in the irritated grimace he had donned upon being interrupted.

_Meddlesome old coot._ He fumed silently as they entered the castle and headed toward Dumbledore's office. _He pretends to care about his students. That's a laugh!_ He tugged at his locket distractedly, wishing he had the comforting weight of his snake around his neck.

"Here we are." Dumbledore said cheerfully, naming some random candy as the gargoyle jumped to the side. Harry glowered; he did _not_ want to be here.

They silently stepped onto the spiral staircase and quickly climbed upward until they reached a plain looking door.

_Well that was anticlimactic._ Harry snorted silently.

Harry warily watched the Headmaster's back as he gained his bearings and entered the room, how had he known what Harry had been planning? That was the only explanation for his sudden appearance; he had to have known somehow. That unanswered thought continued to run through his mind chaotically. What's more, why did the man care about a Slytherin? The old wizard slowly sat and gestured for Harry to do the same.

"Lemon drop?" He inclined his hand toward the candy dish.

"No." Harry shook his head, eyes narrowed. _Get to the point you codger, I don't have time to waste with fools._

Dumbledore smiled tiredly. "Always the Slytherin, suspicious to the end." His eyes seemed to darken in pain. "Though you never were a "perfect" Slytherin, were you Harry."

"Is there something you _need_ Professor?" Harry glared offensively, shifting in his seat.

"It's time to return home Harry." He said gently.

Harry's eyes widened at the odd statement, immediately taking it for the worst. "Did something happen to my parents?" He began to rise. "Does James know?"

"Please sit Harry; I'm afraid it's not that simple." Dumbledore replied gravely. "You see, the people you think are your parents are really no such thing. You are not from this time, you are from the future."

"_What_?" Harry scowled as he angrily stood. "If this is the only reason you brought me here then I think I'd rather not stay." He moved toward the door.

"Sit!" Dumbledore boomed, shocking the boy and forcing him to pause and turn. The old wizard's eyes were hard with pain. "Sit." He said a bit more gently.

Harry slowly returned to the uncomfortably soft chair and sat, sinking into the cushion slightly. He glared at the Headmaster. This was all a ploy, to do what Harry wasn't sure, but he knew that the old man was up to something. His words couldn't be true; it would mean everything he had ever known was a lie.

"I'm sorry to use such a tone with you Harry, but you left me with no other choice at the moment." Dumbledore apologized, looking tired. "What I have said is true though."

"You're a liar!" Harry growled. "How would you even know of this if you're from this time?"

"I have my ways Harry; one must be prepared for anything these days." He explained vaguely.

Harry shook his head. "Well I still don't believe you, my family, my _life_, is _here_!" He laughed harshly. "You sound crazy saying shit like that." He cursed, not caring if he offended the wizard, he had never respected the man anyway.

"Language Harry." Dumbledore chided. "What can I say that would make you believe me?"

There was a heated glare. "Nothing." Harry crossed his arms with finality. "Even if it _were_ true – which it sounds pretty crazed to me – I wouldn't go back, I obviously left for a reason."

"It is not that simple." The Headmaster murmured. "Promises were made, oaths sworn. You must go back."

The Slytherin was beginning to become agitated again, he didn't like being here with the Headmaster, the wrongness of the situation was eating at him, the urge to run was very prominent.

"I'm not going to listen to you anymore Sir, I want to return to my dorm, I've had a rough day." Harry made move to stand once more.

"I'm sorry Harry." Dumbledore apologized and his wand was suddenly pointing at the boy.

Harry's mouth flew open in rage, having been in a similar situation recently. "What are you trying to pull you – "

"_Commemini_ _Memoria_."

Emerald eyes widened as the beam of white light shot toward his face and blinded him. Harry fell back into his chair with a grimace as he was thrown into a thick darkness, then the images began...

"_Harry! We have to run; You Know Who and his Death Eaters are invading the castle!" _

_A flash of red light blinded him, followed by a weak thump and silence from the witch. _

"_Hermione, no!"_

"_She's only been stunned mate, keep moving, you can't be caught off guard!" Ron urged him forward over the roar of battle, sweat and blood slipping down his cheek. _

_Harry abandoned his friends and ran forward; the beating in his ears was intense, his breath coming in short pants. Emerald eyes roved across the battle field. This was it, the final moments of his life. _

"_Voldemort!"_ _He roared._

Harry whimpered and screwed his eyes closed painfully as his fingers dug into the arms of the chair. What was happening to him? He burned all over, his stomach twisted in knots.

"_You love me don't you?" _

_Severus turned and smirked. "You're delusional Potter." _

_A knowing smile._ "_You don't fool me Severus." Harry retorted. "Please, let me hear you say it once more before we go out to battle in the morning." _

_The elder wizard seemed to fight with himself but finally allowed his shoulders to slump forward as he nodded weakly._

"_I love you Harry." They pulled forward and kissed. "I love you enough to die for you."_

"No!" Harry cried, tugging at his hair. "Don't do this!" His eyes opened in terror, darkened and blind to the world as he continued to pass through horrible memories.

"_Did you really think you could escape Potter?" Voldemort whispered dangerously. _

_Harry panted and glared up at the Dark wizard. "I'm not scared of you Tom, you can't hurt me and you know it." _

_The vicious smile sent chills through Harry's gut. _

"_Are you so sure about that Potter?" He waved his wand, gesturing to one of his loyal Death Eaters. "I'll show you how much I can hurt you." _

_Emerald eyes widened in terror as a broken and bloody Severus was dragged through the crowd, shoulders slumped in weakness._

"_No…" _

_Voldemort cackled. "You see Harry Potter? I hold your heart, and I can easily crush it." He lifted his wand and pointed it toward the traitor. _

"_No!" Harry screamed, rushing forward. _

"_Avada Kedavra!" _

Harry convulsed in his madness, twitching and shuddering in mental anguish. "Stop it you bastard! _Stop it_!" He screamed at Dumbledore, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"_I can't stay here." _

_Dumbledore nodded sadly. "I was wondering when you would come to me Harry." He murmured. "I understand what the death of Severus has done to you." _

_Harry's hands balled into fists at his sides, his arms shaking from the strain. "Don't try to talk me out of it Albus, if you understand then you know that I've already made up my mind, I want to go back. I have to go." _

"_Going back in time will not help your loss Harry; it will only make the pain worse." _

"_I don't care!" Harry hissed. "You will send me back, I deserve this! I've done my job and killed Voldemort, I have nothing left here! I deserve a second chance at happiness!" _

_The old wizard looked tired. "And your friends?" _

"_They don't matter, nothing matters! Severus is dead, don't you understand that? He's never coming back to me, so why should I stay here and wait for a broken dream?" Madness glinted in his eyes. "If he can't come to me then I will go to him." _

"_It won't be that easy Harry, you must plan." Dumbledore sighed. "I will help you, but you must agree to my terms." _

_Harry snarled. "Why should I? I've got enough power in our world to have people falling at my feet, begging me to let them help. You're lucky I even told you." He hissed vehemently. _

"_I have my reasons Harry, please, hear them out." _

_The teen threw himself into one of the overly stuffed chairs and viciously waved his hand. "I'm listening."_

Harry curled in on himself, shoulders shuddering as he cried into his knees. "I don't want to remember…_please_."

_Albus_ _Dumbledore watched as Harry disappeared with the Time Turner secured in his miniature hands. He prayed that the boy would remain safe along his journey. _

_He sighed and leaned heavily on his ancient desk, rapid thoughts of what had just taken place flashing through his memory. _

_Harry had readily agreed to his terms, though it wasn't all that surprising. The Gryffindor had been de-aged to the tender age of five, all of his memories erased and long forgotten. _

_This was Harry's second chance at life, something the timeworn youth deserved above all else. He was going to relive his childhood, raised by the family that he had never had. Harry would be known from then on as Harry Potter, younger brother to James Potter. _

Finally the barrage of memories halted and Harry was left panting in his weakness, arms hanging loosely at his sides.

"Harry?" Dumbledore murmured, suddenly doubting what he had done.

The frail body stiffened and the Headmaster was quickly assaulted by a wave of intense loathing along with the warning crackle of powerful magic.

"Why…"

Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, a worried frown tugged at his lips. "What was that?"

Blazing orbs of black flashed as Harry jerked his head up and pierced the old man with a rabid glare. "WHY?"

"I'm afraid it's quite complicated." He bowed his head. "You see, we made a deal Harry."

"I don't remember anything of the sort!" Harry raged. _Why did you hurt me, why would you do something so horrible?_

Dumbledore continued as though Harry hadn't spoken. "You agreed that if things became too much for you to handle I would send you back to your rightful time."

Harry jumped out of his chair, almost toppling the setting in his haste. "Stay away from me." He yanked out his wand. "I'm not leaving, nothing's wrong with me."

"Then I was mistaken when I happened upon Mr. Lupin and yourself? About to cast a Memory Charm no less?" Dumbledore asked softly.

"It was a bump in the road, nothing more!" Harry yelled. "Don't touch me Albus; don't fuck with my life again, you've done enough!"

The old wizard shook his head. "I swore that I wouldn't let you suffer again. You will only cause yourself more pain; the Severus of the past does not love you as his future self did."

Harry's back bumped against the door, hands fumbling with the knob desperately as fresh tears tracked down his cheeks. "Don't do it you old fool." He whispered. "I won't survive without him, not again."

The wand was trained on his chest and Harry stopped all movement as he stared down Dumbledore, his eyes filled with hate and pain.

"I'm sorry Harry." The whisper was quickly followed by an intricate spell.

Harry screamed as he was enveloped in the magic and pulled into darkness once more. "_Severus!_" The echo of his cry resounded in the empty room and Dumbledore bowed his head in grief.

"I'm so sorry Harry, but the future must not be altered."

--- --- ---

Severus' head lifted as his ears began ringing. He frowned and glanced around the library warily, looking for any stray Marauders who could have placed a hex on him. Seeing none he stood, something was wrong, the tightening in his chest told him that his intuition was correct.

He left his haven and quickly paced through the halls, leading toward the courtyard outside. Harry, there was something wrong with the boy and he knew it. His instincts never lied to him; he always had a bit of a sixth sense about these things, a strange empathy.

"What are you doing around this territory Snivellus?" A begrudging voice broke him out of his worried thoughts.

Severus looked up in surprise, which quickly turned to anger. "Stay the fuck away from me Black; I don't want to see your face at the moment, never again in fact."

The Marauder strangely sighed and glanced away without taking the bait and continuing their argument. Severus was perplexed to say the least.

"Listen, I'm sorry." Sirius' face was screwed into a look of contempt as he looked toward the Forbidden Forest.

_Sorry…_ Severus continued to stare at the Gryffindor in confused shock.

Sirius turned at his silence and scowled. "Don't think I'm doing this for my health, you're still a slimy Slytherin who deserves to be hexed." He rolled his eyes and pocketed his hands with a huff. "Dumbledore made me apologize; I just haven't gotten around to it until now."

_Ah, that explains it then._ Severus regained his cool attitude. _He's doing it to pacify the old man._

"Listen Black, I don't want your pathetic apology, it means nothing to me." He began to walk past. "Now, before you interrupted me, I was going somewhere."

"Have you seen Harry?" The Gryffindor suddenly halted him. "I wanted to apologize to him too."

Severus froze, knowing that his premonition was about to raise its head, something had happened to Harry, he knew it. He slowly turned and opened his mouth to reply when James came running up to his friend.

"I can't find Harry, have you seen him?" He panted, as though he had been running for a while. "I've searched through the school and no one's seen him."

Sirius shook his head with a worried look as he gestured toward Severus. "I was about to ask him, since they're in the same House."

James turned and seemed a bit reluctant to ask. "Well Snape, have you seen my brother?"

"No." Severus whispered, beginning to tremble. "But you have to find him, something terrible has happened." He winced and shook his head as a headache began to pound at his skull.

"What?" James' eyes were wide in fear; he looked toward Sirius who had a similarly perplexed look. "How do you know that?" He demanded.

Severus glanced up, his gaze narrowed in pain. "I don't, I'm just telling you what I thought, it's like a feeling." He frowned. "A really bad feeling." He shook his head and glared. "Why are we even talking to each other Potter? Go find your brother before something _does_ happen to him." He said cryptically.

"Is that a threat Snape?" Sirius began to step forward menacingly with a crack of his knuckles.

James grabbed his arm and began pulling his friend away. "We have to find Harry." He muttered, shooting a quick glance over his shoulder. "Thanks Snape." Sirius protested as he was dragged away, but he was ignored.

Severus glowered and looked away in slight embarrassment; it seemed the Gryffindor had seen through his act of nonchalance. He grimaced – to think – Potter knew that he cared for his little brother yet did nothing but thank him. It was discerning.

He worriedly watched the path they had taken, hoping they would find the young Slytherin before something really _did_ happen despite his warning.

_What's happening?_ The feeling of dread overwhelmed him.

--- --- ---

"Remus!" James yelled to get the Gryffindor's attention as they ran the length of the hall.

The werewolf lifted his head and upon seeing Sirius scowled. "What is it James?" He asked politely as they came to a stop beside him at the foot of the staircase.

"We can't find Harry, it's really important that we do." James panted as he caught his breath. "Something bad," he huffed, "has happened, or at least we _think_ something has happened."

Sirius scoffed, shoulders tense as he crossed his arms. "You mean Snape thinks." He muttered. "Why are we even listening to that stupid Slytherin?"

James glared. "Because he cares about Harry and he had a bad feeling about his disappearance. He wouldn't lead us on a wild goose chase if it wasn't important."

"The last time I saw him, he was going to go speak with Dumbledore." Remus interrupted the soon to be argument. "You might want to check there first."

The elder Potter nodded distractedly, rubbing his chest in confusion. "Now _I'm_ getting a bad feeling about this." He muttered. "Come on you guys, let's go ask the Headmaster."

--- --- ---

Harry continued to scream as he fell to his knees, knowing he was back in his original time. The floor beneath him was plush, red, he was in Gryffindor Tower.

"Severus!" He cried at the top of his lungs, he clutched at his shoulders and slowly rocked himself. "_Severus_!" The wail cut through the room.

Voices soon trailed down the stairs as someone, or a _couple_ someones decided to assess the situation and find out who was screaming at such a late hour.

"I don't know what it is, but it sounds like…" The voice stopped as the body paused at the foot of the stairs. "Harry?"

Emerald eyes slowly tracked upward, blurry and wet with grief. Something flickered in Harry's gaze, recognition.

_Hermione._

The bushy haired witch – who looked as though she had gotten older – ran toward Harry and fell beside the sobbing boy, embracing him forcibly and started to cry herself.

"Where have you been Harry?" She buried her face in his shoulder. "We thought you were gone forever, we were so worried!"

Harry looked toward the tall redhead behind her in a sort of daze. He felt unbalanced, lost. "Severus." He whispered, and closed his eyes weakly.

"What?" Hermione pulled away and sniffled as she wiped her eyes. "What did you say Harry?"

He slowly turned and locked eyes. "Severus, where is he?" He whispered again, his voice rough from his screaming.

"Oh Harry." Hermione covered her frowning mouth sadly. "Is that why you left?" Her eyes became soft and compassionate. "It doesn't matter, you're back now, you've come back to us."

Harry's eyes flew wide open as he trembled. "No, he took him away!" Harry grew frantic. "I can't stay with you, he's not here! He's not _here_!" He screamed and tried to push away the girl.

"_Stupefy_!"

Hermione looked back in shock as Harry fell to his side. "Ron, why did you do that!" She turned back toward Harry and lifted him worriedly.

"We need to take him to Madam Pomfrey." Ron murmured as he stepped closer and lifted his best friend. "Let's get him there before something else happens."

The witch quickly nodded and helped her boyfriend out through the portrait.

--- --- ---

"Where is he? Where's Harry?" James demanded in panic, the feeling of dread had consumed him. The three Marauders had stood outside the gargoyle for a total of five seconds, quickly catching on to the oddity of the password and gaining entrance. Remus and Sirius watched on worriedly as Dumbledore shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter, but your brother was just involved in an accident. The appropriate owls have been sent to your parents." His eyes dimmed. "I'm sorry my boy, he didn't survive."

James stared at the Headmaster in shock, face paling as his eyes rolled up into his head and he slumped forward into his friends' arms.

Remus shook his head, arms loosing their strength. "No! That isn't possible, I was just with him! He was with _you_!" His face broke as tears erupted from his eyes and he let go of his friend. "It's not possible."

Sirius scowled as he hefted James into his arms. "How the hell does something like that happen?" He snapped. "An accident? Didn't survive? What the bloody hell _happened_?"

"I understand your grief Mr. Black, but please be patient and I will explain." Dumbledore inclined his head silently. "After he spoke with me, Mr. Potter was emotionally unstable. He apparently retreated to the Forbidden Forest in his grief, where he was attacked by the various beasts which inhabit it." He shook his head regretfully. "The centaurs informed me of this, only moments ago and I have been trying to rectify the situation."

"Rectify the situation?" Remus breathed harshly, glaring up at the Headmaster. "Harry is dead! There is no way to make the situation _better_!"

Dumbledore looked tired. "There is nothing I can do; Harry Potter is lost to this world." He murmured.

--- --- ---

Had it really been a week since he had returned? Had he really survived for so long?

_Kill me, someone kill me. _

Harry was spread out on a bed within the walls of the Infirmary, a familiar sight for him. But this wasn't one of his accidental visits, the only injury he had was his shattered heart. He was bleeding from the inside; slowly dieing…and nobody seemed to care.

He wanted to go back, he had pleaded when Albus had come to visit him. But no one would listen to his garbled speech. The only word that could be understood was the mumbled name he refused to forget.

"Severus." He whispered, fingers twitching in the cool sheets at his sides.

_Out, I need to get out._ His eyes closed as he tried to hold back his tears. _I don't want to be here anymore. _

The dark head shifted to the side of the pillow and Harry looked toward the doors, toward his freedom.

_Yes._ His mind whispered. It was so easy, so close. He slowly lifted his torso and sat up, allowing his body to adjust to the motion. He had been heavily drugged and had been in the same bed since his unexpected arrival, so he was a bit sore.

His feet touched the floor hesitantly; the cool touch snapped at his nerves and wrenched a startled gasp from him. He quickly looked around the room in case there were wards around his bed or other patients sleeping through his escape.

Nothing.

He would have expected Dumbledore to protect him now that he had returned, to keep him captive, but it seemed as though he was going to fail because of the same mistakes again.

_Stupid fool._ He silently growled as he stepped out of the Infirmary, his first steps toward the end.

But not as foolish as his Gryffindor friends it seemed. It appeared that they had gotten together in his absence, which was good; they would have each other when he left again. Their foolishness would be the reason he was leaving though.

He had cried to them during one of their many visits. Sobbing and pleading as he usually did, but this time his reasons were different, he needed to find solace. They had been more then happy to bring the items the Marauders had left behind, it was all he had left, seeing as they were all dead in this time.

The Marauders Map, Prongs' cloak, Moony's wand, and Padfoot's old penknife…

Hermione and Ron had never questioned his motives, they were too trusting, too _Gryffindor_. It would cost them.

The crisp breeze of dawn slapped his cheeks as he left the safety of the castle, bringing a healthy pink flush to his face. He silently walked toward the Forest, heading for the secret hill he had shared with Severus. It would be his final resting place.

This was where he and Severus had been the closest, where they had shared tentative kisses and slow hugs. It was beautiful to Harry, so many memories. He slowly sat on the wet grass, the morning dew seeping into his nightclothes as he stared up at the purple sky.

"I'm sorry for being such a coward Severus." He whispered into the silence, his only companions were the soft songs belonging to the birds of morning. "I tried to be strong, just like you wanted, but it was too hard without you."

In his hand the soft silver flickered in the rising light of the sun. He opened and closed the penknife with a slight click as he stared out toward the Lake.

"Albus took me away from you." He murmured conversationally. "He told me you couldn't make me happy. He was always against our relationship, don't you think?" He chuckled sadly.

The sun was beginning to peek over the trees and Harry stared at the bright orb.

"No more though." His voice grew firm.

His flesh split under the sharp blade Sirius had given him, blood blooming forth at the first bite of metal. He winced and closed his eyes in pain as tears prickled behind his eyelids. _Ouch, I didn't expect it would hurt so much. _Another voice chided him like the thickheaded fool that he was. _What do you think dying feels like?_

He slowly lay down on his side and breathed through his pain as his wrists bled crimson rivers, the crimson pooled around him slowly and he felt like he was sinking. Emerald eyes opened his vision fuzzy and graying at the edges as Harry looked toward the sun one last time.

"I'm coming Severus." He whispered and closed his eyes.

--- --- ---

"Have you seen Harry at all? I checked with Madam Pomfrey and she said he had gone missing." Hermione frowned as she took a seat within the Great Hall, it was breakfast and the noise of the students was filling the room.

"No, I haven't." Ron turned from his plate. "I'll come with you to look for him." He volunteered.

She smiled and patted his cheek affectionately. "Thank you." She glanced around them. "Do you want to look for him now? I'm not sure, but I'm getting a funny feeling."

"That's fine, the sooner we find him the better." Ron stood and helped his girlfriend up.

Hermione reached into her bag as they left the Great Hall behind to stand in the hallway beyond and pulled out the Marauders Map triumphantly.

Ron frowned upon seeing the familiar item. "I thought we had given that back to Harry."

"We did, but he left in the Infirmary, so I took it." The witch slowly unfolded the old parchment. "Let's see, I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. Hm, it says…he's outside."

"Why would he be outside, you don't think he's been out there all this time do you?" Ron asked worriedly.

"I hope not." Hermione folded the map up and stuffed it into her bag. "Come on; let's go bring him in then before someone gets worried."

The pair silently walked outside, holding hands to comfort each other, it was something they had grown used to doing. They had been so happy when Harry had returned. He had been missing for a few weeks and then he had suddenly appeared again!

Dumbledore had explained the situation to them, about how Harry had gone back in time to relive his entire life. It was a bit of a shock to see the lengths he would go to be with Snape again. But he was their friend, so they accepted it and welcomed him back.

It seemed that revealing his past life had been a mistake, especially at the speed which Dumbledore had done so. The spell had sent Harry into shock and he had in a sense, snapped. It was the reason they had been forced to keep in within the safety of the Infirmary, under protective spells and heavy surveillance until he was deemed safe.

The wards had been removed, which had also proven to be a mistake since Harry was now loose and emotionally unstable.

"Hey Hermione, what's that up ahead?" Ron nodded forward, breaking her thoughts.

A small form was huddled in the cool grass, shadows seeping around the figure and hiding it from prying eyes.

"I'm not sure; it looks almost like…_Harry_!" The girl screamed in recognition.

Harry remained still as the two Gryffindors rushed to his side. Ron slid to a stop, landing on his knees beside his best friend.

"Don't do this to us Harry, please." He choked as he saw the state the boy was in. "Don't leave us again!"

Blood gave the grass a crimson sheen, the blades around Harry shining wetly in the early sunlight. The penknife remained in Harry's limp hand, glinting maliciously and taunting, still bloodied and dangerous.

It was the one Sirius had given him.

"Damn it!" Ron cursed, clutching Harry's wrists futilely in an attempt to stop the sluggish bleeding.

Hermione covered her mouth as she slipped to her knees weakly; shaking her head in denial. "Harry, why would you do this?" She whispered.

The Boy Who Lived was gone once more, this time forever, and there was sadly nothing they could do to help him. They would mourn as they had the first time, they would shed tears and hopefully, eventually they would move on.

The couple remained with Harry's body until Dumbledore and the other Professors came to investigate their missing presence from within the castle. More tears were shed and Dumbledore looked stricken as he looked down upon the serene face of the young wizard.

"I've made a terrible mistake." He whispered.

No one would understand those words in future years, and Albus would continue to carry the heavy weight of guilt in his heart for the remainder of his life. One thing could be said though, despite the severity of the situation, Harry had had a smile on his face.

Despite everything, he had died happy.

--- --- ---

James stood silently as he stared down at the casket being lowered into the ground. It was empty of course, Dumbledore had never provided a body for them to bury, inside the fancy piece of wood were personal possessions belonging to Harry.

It had been two weeks since he had been told his little brother wasn't coming back, two weeks and it still hurt like hell to think about. The entire situation was wrong, Harry was only thirteen! He should have been able to live a carefree life; he should have been able to experience _everything_!

Tears slowly trailed the length of his cheeks and slipped down his chin. Everyone around him was mourning, crying for the lost soul they had all come to love. His parents were the worst off, they wouldn't be able to have anymore children, Harry had been their baby.

"You alright James?" A voice murmured sadly beside him.

He turned and gave Sirius a watery smile. "I'm good." He sniffed and glanced back toward the grave. "I'll be better soon."

"We don't expect you to be our strong leader anytime soon." Remus smiled gently. "This is a hard blow for all of us, you especially. It's going to take time to get over this, if at all."

James nodded distractedly, trying not to think about it overly so. Sirius clapped him on the shoulder and took him into a half hug. "It's going to be alright Prongs, you'll see."

He nodded again, the strange lump in his throat tightening and stopping his response. "Where's Pete?" James wiped his eyes as he looked around.

Sirius gestured over his shoulder. "He's over with Mum and Dad." He inclined his head. "Evans is over there too if you want to go." He offered.

"No, I need to stay with you guys." James rubbed his face in an attempt to clear the flushed tint his cheeks had taken.

"Are your parents going to be alright?" Remus asked worriedly.

The hazel eyes finally cleared as James looked toward his parents. "I don't know." He murmured truthfully. "They can't have anymore kids because of their age. I'm all they have left," he smiled and lightly punched Sirius' arm, "Padfoot here too I suppose, he's like a son to them anyway."

Remus nodded and smiled softly as Sirius came behind him and wrapped him in his arms lovingly, while kissing the side of his neck. He wished James could be as happy, though perhaps Lily would help him through as he friends were willing to do.

Sirius and Remus had gotten back together; Harry's death had given them a shock to the system. They had painfully learned that life was extremely short, and that anyone could be next. They wanted to be happily together for as long as possible, so after a lot of tears, everything had been forgiven.

James stared at the headstone mutely, the last of the dirt had been set upon the coffin and Harry was forever gone.

The tears came again.

The hiccupped sob caught the couple's attention and they quickly stepped closer in an attempt to soothe James. He buried his face in Sirius' robes and began to cry his heart out as everything came crashing around him once more.

"It's not fair." He sobbed as Sirius pulled him against his chest. "It's not fair…"

"We're here for you James, we'll always be there." Remus whispered as he too looked toward the headstone.

_Harry Potter_

_1962 – 1975 _

_Beloved brother, lover and guardian angel._

_May his soul rest in peace and his memory go on._

--- --- July 31, 1980 --- ---

A loud squall broke through the tense air of the room and a pained groan from Lily announced the birth of her son.

Sirius cheered and clapped a shocked James on the back as the Mediwitch cleaned the newborn babe. Remus remained at Lily's side, gently stroking her brow with a wet cloth.

"Well done Lily, he's beautiful." The werewolf congratulated. Lily smiled tiredly in return, her fiery hair spread around her damp face.

"That's right James; you've got a beautiful son." Sirius smiled, throwing an arm around his friend.

A watery smile was sent in his direction. "He is isn't he?" James said proudly as he watched the tiny bundle.

"What's his name then?" Remus asked softly.

There was a moment of silence as James simply gazed at his wife. She smiled and nodded at his silent question.

"Harry." James finally said. "Harry Potter."

The End

* * *

AN: And thus the circle starts again. This is the ending that I liked; there was so much more action and the title fits with this version since both Harry/Sev are 'already gone'. Well, thanks to everyone who stayed for the entire fic, especially those who have reviewed. It was fun! Thank u Zoomi for being my beta through the whole thing!

-Red


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